The man known as Zero was one of the leaders of the Sentinels - a group called the Shield. Had he been officially recognized as a Hero before the invasion, he would’ve been a High Hero of the old system. However, Zero chose to help those in need without ever claiming credit for it.

Once the greatest vigilante, now the most well-known Super alive.

Gabriel had known that Zero was powerful, but it was incredible the unassuming man handled Lucian with ease. His mutations had never been publicly tested, so his reflexes, physical strength, and healing ability remained unknown to all but him.

Though, he seldom used his physical abilities. His control of shadows made them essentially redundant. The shadows were his weapon of choice, responding to his will in a way that meant Zero basically had telekinesis. They were also his armor; the pitch-black coat covering him gave him Class 5 abilities and protections.

If Lucian were to pop into existence somewhere and start slaughtering innocents, Gabriel would need to stop him once and for all. He needed more power. That would mean intensive training and some serious upgrades to his suit. Gabriel had no clue what he could do to his suit to beat a Telepath as powerful as his brother, but he did know he wouldn’t stop until he created something that could stand up to him on equal ground.

He didn’t want to end up like Quickdraw, a champion of the people dying in a basement to some hired goons.

Wait, what was he thinking? He couldn’t possibly be considering staying in such a deadly profession… could he? Why didn’t he feel the urge to go be ‘normal’?

Zero led the way out of the facility through the stairwell and into the vast lobby of the Iodine Building. A team of paramedics and police Supers stood around, looking confident the perimeter was safe.

The older Super set down the injured Strike team with a groan from both injured parties. Paramedics set to work on Helios, applying rejuvenation accelerants and using gauze to put pressure on his wounds. His broken bones were set with metal splints to keep him immobile.

Terra was a different story. The medical team propped her up against the wall and placed her shattered limbs against her stumps. Then they splinted them like Helios and left her without using any ointments or traditional medicine.

Gabriel walked to her. “Are you going to be alright, Terra?” He spoke softly. Terra was wheezing.

“I’ll be fine, child.” She responded. “I will grow back into the legs and be good as new in about a month.”

“A month!” Gabriel blurted out before he could help it.

“It would take me a lot longer if we hadn’t been able to recover the legs so intact. That’s the drawback to a stone body. My regenerative mutations took a hit. I heal slowly, rock takes millions of years to harden, I’m lucky I don’t take just as long.”

Gabriel frowned. His newfound friend had a severe flaw in her power set. The damage done by Lucian could be replicated by many other Supers. He wondered how often she had to stay like this.

He was startled by the sound of tinkling stones. Terra was crying. Tiny jade pebbles rolling to the floor from her cheeks.

“A-are you okay?” He asked.

“Yes, I will be fine. Quickdraw’s family... Her husband and two daughters…” She responded, the stone tears dropping more quickly now. “I will mourn her for a long time. Leave me.”

Gabriel looked at her with soft eyes. “I am sorry for your loss, Terra.” He placed his hand on hers, and she smiled through the tears.

He walked away from the crying giant, only to be accosted by a flying blur of white and pink.

Jimmy hugged him tight. “I’m so relieved we made it out! Zero got to you in time! I was worried when he didn’t listen to me. He only ran in when Long-Arm came out and backed up my story.”

Gabriel embraced him back. “I’m glad you’re safe too, Jimmy. Were you able to get anyone out?”

His friend nodded. “Most of them ran the moment I told them what Lucian was up to. Only three or four labs put up a fuss, but they’re safe and being evacuated by the Houston PD. You saved them by holding Lucian off. You’re a hero Gabriel! They might even invite you to join the Sentinels!”

“Ha! Me? A Sentinel? They wouldn’t just let me in without passing the tests first. Do you know how many Supers wait years for a shot at getting in?”

Jimmy glared at him. “Do you know how many Supers like you exist, son? Because I do. One. Just you. The tech you made here puts you in the top Class of engineer Supers, up there with Dr. Atomic, I’d say.

I may be biased but I’m also a scientist, you’re more special than you think. They’d be crazy not to snatch you up now. It’d be a cinch for a Shield member like Zero to bend the rules.”

Gabriel’s doubtful answer was cut short by Helios yelling at a paramedic. “HEY, THAT HURT! WATCH IT, DOUCHECANOE!” He spat fire at the man, hitting him on the shoe and sending him tap dancing.

Gabriel jogged over.

“Here let me do that.” He said calmly, applying pressure to the twitching arm while a medic wrapped it in a splint. “Don’t be so rude Helios. You are scaring the people here to help you.”

He said this looking right at the bad-tempered man. Helios’ eyes began to kindle.

“I don’t think you want to spit fire at me, Helios.” He squeezed the arm in his grip slightly, making Helios squeal. “Especially in the state you’re in now.”

After the warning, Helios calmed down enough to let the paramedics finish their work. Gabriel left them and walked to Long-Arm. He was sitting in one of the old sofas in the lobby. He sat two spaces from him, noting the streaks of tears on the rubber man’s face.

“What’s got Helios’ knickers in a knot, huh? I mean jeez, they’re just doing their job right?” He avoided asking what was wrong, trying to cheer him up by taking his mind off his train of thought.

Long-Arm turned. “He’s sad. About Quickdraw.” He said, falling silent.

Gabriel sat in awkward silence until he could take it no more. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Long-Arm gave a half-smile. “I wish there was Gabriel. I wish there was.” He let out a sniffle. “Quickdraw was the best of Strike Force Beta. She led us through thick and thin, getting us out every time - safe. Even in the most hopeless situations. You know we held the record for least team casualties in the world?” He snickered. “I guess we still do, technically.”

The Hero looked at Gabriel square in the eyes. “She was a real Hero. The whole shebang. And she’s dead. None of us could get her out safe…” He broke off, staring at the design on the thick carpet.

Giving the ailing elastic’s shoulder a squeeze, he moved away from Long-Arm and towards Zero, who was talking to Jimmy.

“Thank you for your cooperation James, you’re free to go back to your husband outside.”

Jimmy saw Gabriel on the way out and mouthed thank you. His husband, Rick, ducked under the yellow police tape and swept him off his feet in a passionate embrace.

Zero smiled. “You have quite the loyal friend there, Gabriel. I had to tell him I wasn’t going to charge you for anything three times to get him to stop pleading your case.”

“Thanks for not giving him too hard a time, sir.” This made Zero laugh.

“I save the demon for the sinners.” He responded. Then, breaking out into a large smile he said, “I need to ask you a few questions now, Gabriel. Why don’t you start by telling me about the illegal sales going on behind the scenes at Iodine?”

Gabriel nodded. “Iodine Incorporated has always been a front created by Dr. Michael Holmes. He used his notoriety in the scientific community - and likely his psychic mutations - to build trust around his company. Iodine was releasing so many useful inventions no one thought to look closely at its financial dealings.”

He stopped for a moment, letting the paramedics carrying Helios pass. Those holding Terra struggled with her weight even in power armor.

“Please, go on.” Said Zero patiently.

Gabriel continued, “Holmes made huge technological advancements over the course of his enterprise, but he always saved the most lethal, expensive stuff for the black market. Combat programs, lasers, and exo-suits. Even the Warbots the Ruchin have used to fight off the MechaBlitz.”

Zero’s eyes narrowed. “You mean we found the supplier of the Ruchin’s Warbots?! That’s better news than I thought I’d hear today. This is enough to send for Holmes’ capture, though he’s likely hightailed it to his allies by now. None of the officers reported seeing him leaving.” He crossed his arms and tapped his chin.

“Before you go I’d like to ask you a personal question, just curious. Your answer to this will stay off the report I’m going to write, so I ask you to trust me. What was the energy you used to destroy that security door?”

“Are you saying you were there when I did that? Why didn’t you jump in sooner?!”

Zero grinned bashfully. “I wanted to see how you’d do. I was curious. I assure you that I wouldn’t have let any permanent harm befall any of you. Now, would you please be so kind as to scratch my curious itch one more time?”

Gabriel sighed. “I suppose I could. You did stop Lucian.”

He looked from side to side, pleased to see most of the lobby had been vacated. Only a few medics were left packing whatever supplies they brought. “I used an antimatter construct.” He said quietly.

Zero’s eyes widened. “But antimatter has never been successfully weaponized since its discovery in the late 21st century. You managed to do that?”

Gabriel nodded.

Zero whistled in respect. “Well damn, you are pretty smart aren’t you? How would you feel if I invited you to join the Sentinels?”

Gabriel just stared at him, not believing his ears. He couldn’t get a word out before the older Super continued.

“The way you handled yourself down there showed you’d be a great addition to the Sentinels. Would you be interested in a position on our newly minted Spire Strike Force? Strike Force Gamma needs a fourth. They start training tomorrow if you are up to the task.”

Zero sighed. “I won’t hold it against you if you say no. James filled me in on your past. I’d get it if all you wanted to do was explore your new freedom. You could be halfway to the Bahamas right now if you wanted to. Think it through and message me if you’re interested.” He swiped on his wrist-pad and held it up.

Gabriel lifted his own wrist-pad and added his contact. It felt surreal, a member of the Shield asking him for a text. If he ever wanted to be a Sentinel, this was the moment, but it shouldn’t be that simple a choice, right? Hadn’t he missed out on what life was really like?

Should he choose to decline this offer, Gabriel could find a home with Jimmy and his caring partner. He could find a job, meet a girl, start a family and explore the endless adventures and entertainment with the billions he’d siphoned from Iodine over the years.

The ‘normal’ option seemed perfect. The way life should be. Safe and surrounded by kindness. But what about the MechaBlitz? He couldn’t just ignore the invasion, but he knew civilians stayed as oblivious to the threat as they could. They would rather leave everything to the Sentinels.

They were naive.

In fact, the MechaBlitz could wipe out all of the Earth’s settlements should they decide to launch an all-out assault. Humanity had been lucky the reptiles had entrenched themselves so firmly, especially so that they hadn’t responded with force - apart from retaking their strongholds.

Only a fraction of people possessed mutations powerful enough to join the Sentinels, and the Shield could face large numbers of aliens without a high risk of death.

He already played a role in harming the very people whose lives he’d imagined having. He helped develop the Warbots and the virtual intelligence (VI) that controlled them. Ruchin avoided mass casualties while Iodine withheld the technology from the Human Republic.

Not only that, he had the skills to help protect people, now that he had a choice. The only thing preventing humanity from benefiting from his aid would be his selfishness. He could live a normal life and fill his time with pleasure, or he could put his unique abilities to a higher purpose.

Then Lucian popped into his head. That sealed it. If he ever appeared in this dimension again, Gabriel would want to be the one to stop him. He wouldn’t be lounging in a mansion while his brother was committing genocide.

He had no doubt what his decision was. “I would be honored to be their fourth.”

With a knowing smile, Zero zipped into motion. “Wonderful, wonderful. Now back to the Spire.”

A large, sleek, matte-black Armored Transport waited for them beyond the police lines outside in the shadowy UnderCity. The rounded craft was nestled between two personal fliers. Low altitude speeders whizzed by overhead and the crystal panels in the elevated NeoWalkway illuminated the darkness from a few thousand feet above.

Not many people were left outside Iodine. Only speeders, criminals, Police, and shipping transports called this place home. The ruins of Old Houston hid in the shadows of the NeoWalkway and New Houston, built on kilometer-long stilts. It was all but forgotten by the average person - until the need to do something nefarious came up, that is.

Most of the NeoCities had criminal underbellies like this.

The Supers neared the transport labeled “Nevermore” and the huge doors opened, revealing the richly decorated interior. Zero’s private transport perhaps? They climbed in and the doors closed behind them, the transport had a pilot seat, but it was clearly automated. The engine spooled up as they sat and Gabriel felt the Anti-Gravity generator kick in, lifting them from the ground.

“So what now?” He said, turning expectantly at Zero and turning his faceplate clear.

“First of all, you like my transport? It’s comfy right?” The man responded, playing with his reclining settings.

“Yes it is very nice, sir, but I would like to know what lies ahead for me. Please.” Zero stopped suddenly, looking at Gabriel with mischievous eyes.

“You sure you don’t want to hang out and shoot the shit with a famous super? Enjoy your first night of freedom? I make a mean martini, you like cucumber?”

Gabriel’s expression made Zero smile wider. “Alrighty. Up next is homework.”