In the wake of war, Dante Amar has elected a new Council. Moving forward, Council members will select their successor, naming them Class I – which will now be used to distinguish Council members in training. Dante is confident these changes will defend the state against any sudden loss of a Council Member. Dante’s current selections have incredible powers and are the prime of their individual groups. Derrick Levine is not only the strongest Brawn recorded, but his speed rivals Runners as well. Minerva Alvarez, who served as a PeaceKeeper before accepting the new position, can sense the slightest changes in the air. Krista Mullen is a renowned researcher. Alistair Ashton has managed to conceal the extent of his power, but Dante makes no mistakes. For more detailed biographies of our new Council members, see the full article on page 15. –, Evan Murphy, 682 Anno Imperi Ortu

Embarrassed by my behavior, I sit on the stairs and tap my foot against the rug covering the concrete floor beneath me. I hadn’t been prepared for failure – I can see that now. Hopefully the people who have placed their trust in me are able to see past one mistake.

I know I have to call them back and apologize. Swallowing the pride I’ve earned during my brief but effective leadership will be difficult, but these are the people who have been with me from the beginning. Without Jade’s intervention, I may have lost control of my power again and sacrificed the entire base. Unless I make it clear that such behavior won’t be repeated, I wouldn’t blame them for abandoning my cause.

Still, I can’t bring myself to activate the communicator. Admitting I was wrong may impact my credibility as their leader, and I can’t allow that to jeopardize our mission. What we are doing is more important than my own feelings, but it’s also more important than anyone’s perception. Honesty and transparency are vital for a leader, but there’s a point where that may impact credibility.

Groaning, I fall back and rest my head uncomfortably on the stairs behind me. Each step protrudes into my back, forcing my spine to bend around them. I drum my fingers on the bare frame of the stairway and feel the vibrations on my cheek.

Whatever I do, I have to make it clear to my core team that I have a plan. Their faith in me is what has driven me from the beginning, and I must prove to them it wasn’t misplaced. I can’t call everyone back for an apology – there has to be something more.

Rising to my feet, I trudge toward the table. Michael’s notes adorn the map as tactical decorations. Undeniably, the farmers were a setback. However, that doesn’t change the fact that our recruitment has been unprecedented. With nearly fifty people communicating with us through our expanding underground network, I find it hard to call any recruitment attempt a failure.

After such a defeat, the Council will expect me to hide and continue licking my wounds. For the next few days, their guard may fall. As I stare at his map, the corners of my lips climb upwards. What had happened wasn’t a setback at all – I was just too close to the situation to see the benefit. Looking at the overall view I can see the plan as a whole. Granting the Council a small victory will allow us to strike while they aren’t expecting it.

Either they will try broadcasting my interaction with Dante as a way to try to cast doubt upon my abilities as a leader or they’ll pretend it didn’t happen. Whatever happens, I can use it for my benefit. The Council won’t be prepared for me to come out of hiding any time soon. Activating the communicator in my ear, I stifle my excitement and neutralize my voice.

“I have to apologize for what you all witnessed,” I announce to the channel which is only available to my inner circle. Realizing I’d started my speech without an end goal, I hesitate for a moment. Too eager to explain my plan, I simply want to summon them back. “We experienced a minor setback, but it doesn’t mean we are weakened. If you’re able, please return to base to discuss our next move.”

“This had better be good, Powerless, I just got bored of waiting for you to wake up,” Jade snaps. Her harsh tone seems to cut the connection as static punctuates her statement.

“I can be there in literally a second,” Lukas brags. “Maybe not literally, I am pretty far and I have to be stealthy. I will be fast though.”

“I’ll be present for any strategy session,” Michael affirms. Hesitance in his tone betray the meaning behind his words and I start to worry he doesn’t trust me. It’s just as I suspected – he saw me respond emotionally to Dante and now doesn’t trust me. Though I’m not entirely surprised, I didn’t expect his loyalty to be the first to waver. Shaking my head, I force away the paranoia. Michael has been with me from the beginning – maybe he’s just tired. I know he wouldn’t lose faith in me because of one bad rally. Every leader has events which don’t go well for them. I’m sure even Dante did in his time.

“I’ll be there soon,” Alexis responds. Now all I have to do is wait for them to arrive. My fear and shame has almost entirely been replaced by a giddy anticipation. Our plan doesn’t have to stop simply because the farmers didn’t want to join.

To my surprise, Jade is the first to arrive. Barely bothering with subtlety, she pushes entrance open and storms inside. Scowling, she’s almost able to pollute my smile, but I maintain a confident stance.

“You want to tell me what that was about, Powerless?”

“You’re quick.”

“I was waiting for you to wake up so I could get answers, but you can’t take a punch so I got bored.”

“Well, I guess that makes us one to one.”

“I’m not counting a sucker punch – I want to beat you when you’re at full strength. When you’re expecting me. I don’t have to resort to tricks to beat you, I just didn’t want you to destroy the base.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Which brings me back to: What happened?”

“I’m still working on controlling my power. I haven’t had my entire life to learn like the rest of you.”

“Well, work harder. There’s no way you’re going to lead anyone if you risk killing them all the time.”

“Point taken,” I wince. Her words hurt more than her fist, but she has a point. I appreciate her brash attitude. As we grow, maybe there will be another time I need her to keep me in check.

Lukas skids into the room and stops next to us. I’ve never understood the physics behind Runners, but maybe those calculations are better left to the Intellects. Somehow, Lukas is able to stop himself on a dime regardless of his speed. Unlike some of the other Runners, he doesn’t even leave marks on the ground. I wonder if super speed also strengths the human body against the impacts of sudden acceleration or if it’s something they build up for their entire lives.

“Sorry I’m late,” Lukas genuinely apologizes. “I would have been here faster but there was a PeaceKeeper and I had to convince him I was out for a jog because I like running which is true. He didn’t seem suspicious, but I know how important it is that you aren’t discovered so I ran a few laps around the block and then took another route to pretend my destination was elsewhere. Then I went back home just to be safe and then I came back. I figured I’d have time but I guess Jade beat me here.”

“That’s alright, Lukas,” I laugh. “I appreciate the precaution.”

“I’m super discreet.”

I don’t have anything in particular to say in response and Jade isn’t one for conversation. Alexis ducks through the entrance just as the room falls silent and her quiet footsteps sound thunderous. Everyone turns to her and she widens her eyes and looks around.

“What?” She mutters, dropping her eyes as she comes to join the group. Not particularly interested in explaining that the reaction of the group was nothing more than timing, I don’t offer a response. Instead, we all stand in silence for a brief moment until Michael arrives.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” he awkwardly greets. Closing the entrance behind him, he walks as far as the table before stopping. The rest of us join him at the table, silently agreeing the tactical map is the best location for a meeting.

“Today was difficult,” I open. I know I can’t lead the entire meeting without addressing it, but I also have to make sure it isn’t the core focus. I want to pull their attention from my failure and focus their eyes back on the goal. I hope I can also convince them that failure was nothing more than a happy accident. “It didn’t go as any of us were expecting. However, all is far from lost. The plan moves forward.”

“Shouldn’t we take a minute to recuperate?” Alexis stammers.

“That’s exactly what the Council thinks. They think we’ll hide after none of the farmers wanted to join our cause. The farmers are too brainwashed – we shouldn’t have started there. Instead, we will double our efforts here in town. In two days, we will hold a rally in the middle of town.”

“Wait, you’re kidding,” Michael stammers.

“Trust me, Michael, this is our best option. In front of town hall, we gather everyone. This is the place to obtain the most visibility, and people will see how many of us there are.”

“There are so many PeaceKeepers, Car,” Michael argues. “Anyway, isn’t this a bit fast?”

“That’s why it will work!” I assert. “If we wait until the PeaceKeepers can associate some of our followers with me, they may suspect something. Now, we can have everyone show up and pretend to be hearing my message for the first time. They won’t arrest people listening, they’ll only be after me. I can fly away when necessary. There’s no risk.”

“This is a plan I can approve of,” Jade shrugs.

“Thank you, Jade,” I smile.

“I’m going to be honest, Powerless, I didn’t mean it as a compliment,” she shrugs.

“Jade can be a bit rash,” Michael agrees.

“What did you say?” She snaps. Michael raises his hands and backs away. Composing herself, she mutters, “Okay, point taken.”

“None of you support this?” I mutter. I can’t believe I’ve so easily lost all their faith. This is the best course of action – it has to be.

“I do. I’m by your side. You’re the one who’s going to change the world,” Lukas asserts.

“It seems drastic, but we’re going to have to take drastic measures eventually if we want to reform a government,” Alexis admits.

“I already said it sounds fun,” Jade contributes.

“I suppose I’m outnumbered,” Michael sighs.

“Perfect, then two days from now we all meet in the plaza out front of town hall. Rally all of your contacts and spread the word,” I order.

The others nod with varying levels of enthusiasm. After this rally, our numbers will easily triple. That will earn all of their trust and silence their doubts. My team will forget all about the farmers, but we have to move quickly. The window of the Council’s false assurance that we won’t act is small.

“Tonight, get some sleep,” I add.

“How can you possibly be tired?” Jade taunts.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a day,” I reply, ignoring her obvious attempt to irritate me. Her banter has become expected, so I’m not sure she’ll ever be able to upset me with it again. Bored by my reaction, Jade scoffs and pushes her way toward the exit. After exchanging goodbyes, my team vanishes into the night.

Retreating to my room, I take out my notebook and start writing. Normally, I’m able to lose track of days down here. This time, though, I have something to which I can look forward. Despite the inability of the sun to reach me, I feel the need to keep a close watch on the clock. Hours inch by as I try to find ways to kill the time. I levitate my furniture, I make meals, I take naps, but my excitement keeps time moving at a reasonable speed. I spend some time working on a speech, but my eagerness makes that difficult as well. Of course, I know that’s counterproductive, but I can barely contain the joy as I see my goal within my grasp. This rally will land a devastating blow to the Council. My numbers will soar and it will begin to impede on their civilization. They will have to listen to us, and they’ll have to stop treating me like a fugitive. In only a few short days, I’ll finally be able to show my face in public again. Somehow, my exhaustion overcomes my excitement and I take yet another nap. Awakening, I try to jot down more notes, but I can’t stifle the energy within myself. Maybe I should try to do some jumping jacks or something. I life the refrigerator again, but it’s become nearly weightless with the progression of my power. Bored, I slump back into a chair and stare at the ceiling. Finally, my alarm rings. The time is here. Leaping to my feet, I almost mindlessly lift the trapdoor. As it rises, I lift my hand to keep it from falling back down.

“Is everyone in place?” I ask, tapping my ear to activate the communicator.

“I’m here. There are dozens of students from the trade schools. Families, various people walking around. I can’t tell how many are with us, which is positive I suppose,” Michael explains.

“I see at least seven people I’ve recruited,” Jade chimes in.

“There are a lot of Class V’s and Battle School kids,” Alexis confirms. “I didn’t talk to most of them directly, but I know word has been spreading.”

“A few of these guys work with me,” Lukas contributes.

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” I tell them.

“Are you sure about this?” Michael asks. “It’s not too late to call it off.”

“It’s time to be bold, Michael.”

“Yes sir.”

I sneak through the exit of my base, carefully examining my surroundings. Leaving in broad daylight, I want to be sure no construction workers happen to be around. The last thing I want is to compromise my base when I’m so close to our first major victory.

Ducking through the alleys, I work my way toward the center of town. As I get closer, the PeaceKeeper controls become more frequent. Glancing upward to the tops of the towering buildings, I take a single deep breath before jumping into the air. Moving myself upward, I carefully avoid redirecting my hands. As I soar above the top of the building, I lower my energy output and lower myself down. Just before I reach the building, I move one arm outward slightly, pushing myself away from the alley and onto the building. Clenching my fists, I discontinue the flow of any energy and allow gravity to pull me the few inches to the rooftop.

“What are you doing up here?” A voice demands. Surprised, I turn to face him. When I recognize his uniform, I realize that was a mistake, but it’s too late. Recognition fills his expression and he reaches for his gun.

“Well, that was unexpected,” I mutter. I hold one hand toward him and hold him in place. With the other hand, I retrieve his communicator and direct it to the edge of the building.

I should have known they’d start patrolling the rooftops. I showed Dante I could fly out at the farms. Perhaps I underestimated the Council. I was sure they’d drop their guard for a few days at least, but that seems to have been unfounded. Releasing my hold on the communicator, I drop it into the alley below.

“They’ll know I’m missing when I don’t report in,” the PeaceKeeper threatens. Struggling against my hold, he tries to pull his sidearm from its holster. Calmly, I open the strap and pull the gun toward myself.

“I don’t need that long,” I shrug.

“No, please don’t,” he whines, watching the gun float toward me. Seeing the fear in his eyes, I laugh uncomfortably.

“Oh, no, I have no intention of killing you. I want to be heard, not feared.”

“Okay. Okay, I’m listening, just put the gun down.”

I have never thought fear was a wise motivator, but it seemed to get this PeaceKeeper’s attention quickly. Still, I don’t think that’s the most effective way to lead. Change made from fear would instantly be reverted when the threat vanished. No, no matter how effective it is, I have to think about the long-term.

I drop the bullets from the gun and empty the barrel before tossing all the pieces in different alleys surrounding us. With the other hand, I continue to hold the PeaceKeeper in place. I’m not sure if he’s completely given up or if I’ve grown stronger, but I barely feel him struggling against my hold. Of course, this is only one flyer, I can’t assume my power will translate well to anyone else.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I assure him.

“No one has to get hurt,” he lies.

“Then why were you going to pull your gun?”

“We’re trying to detain you. We want to help, but we can’t do that without bringing you to rehabilitation.”

I can see that he’s lying through his teeth and it infuriates me. Nonetheless, I maintain my composure and release him from my hold. Hesitant to move, he stands still and looks around with his regained freedom.

“I can’t let you tell anyone where I am,” I sigh.

“Let us help, Carson,” he stammers.

“I won’t kill you. That isn’t who I am. I only need you unconscious for about an hour.”

“What are you planning?”

“Just to be safe, I’m not going to monologue to you,” I laugh. “I want to be as merciful as possible. Truly, I do. What would you prefer?”

“What?”

“A strike to the head will knock you out will be quick, but it could cause issues down the line. On the other hand, I could restrict your airflow. You’ll panic and it will take longer, but I promise to stop as soon as you’re unconscious. I think that will prevent any permanent damage.”

“Just…”

“Don’t interrupt me,” I scold, grabbing his neck telekinetically to silence him. “I won’t let you hit your head. You’ll lie peacefully until you wake up.”

I release my hold from his neck and he rubs his throat, backing away. Nearing the edge of the building, he seems to think he can escape if he steps off it. While I would love to prove him wrong, I can’t take any risks with our rally on the line. Instead, I put an invisible wall behind him which he steps into. Looking over his shoulder in surprise, he stumbles toward me.

“I don’t have much time, I need an answer or I’ll have to choose for you,” I sigh.

“Let’s both just walk away. We can –” he starts, but I stop him again. Clawing at the invisible hand on his throat, he tries to break its grasp.

“Okay, this is getting cruel,” I sigh. “I think I personally would rather be hit in the head, but honestly I’m not confident enough in my control. I’m worried I’d hurt you, so I’m going to stop your breathing. It will be okay.”

I create a bubble around him which contains his angry yelling. I want to drain the oxygen from the bubble so he passes out quickly, but I’m not sure I know enough about air quality to stop him from suffering from some type of poisoning. Creating a vacuum could destroy him in itself. Strangling him feels evil, though.

While I try to make a decision, I see his hammering against the invisible barrier grow weaker. This seems to be working, so I simply keep the barrier up. It is going to take me longer to reach my rally, but this seems to be the most merciful option. Finally, he slides to the ground. I keep the barrier up for another minute to make sure he doesn’t wake up instantly, but not long enough to risk brain damage.

Dropping the barrier, I lift his sleeping body into the air and hover it over the edge of the building. I have to hide him, but I’m not sure I can carry him safely to the ground. Looking over the edge of the building, I can see the ground. Until now, I’ve never had a reason to assume question the range of my ability. Cautiously, I lower him to the ground. The further he gets from me, the more I feel his weight, but I’m able to get him to ground level. Opening a nearby dumpster lid, I place him carefully inside and close it. I can’t help but feel a strange sense of justice as I force someone else to hide in a dumpster.

Now I’m not sure if the rooftops or the alleyways are safer, but I have to get to town square quickly. Looking around, I try to see if any other PeaceKeepers are flying around. I see dots in the distance and my paranoia assures me they’re Peacekeepers.

Throwing caution to the wind, I quickly bound across buildings toward town hall. With each new rooftop, I take a moment to search for Peacekeepers. Somehow, I’m able to make it to the rally without sparking another incident. However, I’m sure my followers are going to be getting antsy, so I have to start the rally soon. Without a second to spare, I jump toward the middle of the courtyard and lower myself toward the large pond. The water should help my voice carry, but it will keep anyone from sneaking up on me. To create a bigger spectacle, I push water aside and land in the center of it. Thankfully, I don’t have to open with some grandiose line, because people around me are already gasping and looking toward me.

“My name is Carson Adachi,” I announce. “At this point, I think most of you know my name. You have heard stories about me – but those are mostly lies. Your Council is deceiving you to keep you quiet and complacent.”

A few people start gathering around. They’re a bit premature – the unconvinced are still cowering and I haven’t said much. I didn’t hire professional entertainers, so I shouldn’t have expected anything else. Besides, I assume their eagerness will be interpreted as curiosity as opposed to a predetermined act.

“They split you into classes to segregate you. They send you to a school and determine your lifelong career before your brain is fully developed. There is no balance of power, and you have no say in your government. We just don’t think about it until we have to. I’ll admit it: I wasn’t concerned with their totalitarian rule until they turned against me.

“Most of you fear me – but I swear to you, I’ve never hurt anyone. The Council fears my power, but I haven’t used it to harm another soul. Before I had the chance to prove myself, they tried to silence me. Even now, it won’t be long before PeaceKeepers come to shoot me. I’m not harming any of you – I’m not a threat – but they’ll draw guns. Clearly, they aren’t afraid of danger. What, then, do they fear? Loss of control. They are terrified of all of you thinking for yourselves and reaching the same conclusions I have. The Council can no longer control my mind, so they decided to silence it.”

Ripples resonate through the water, but I can’t see anyone coming toward me. Pinpointing the epicenter, I thrust one arm out and hold the invisible PeaceKeeper in place. Three more PeaceKeepers are approaching, so I shoot into the sky. Screams echo from beneath me, but the crowd continues to grow. I have no way of telling whether anyone outside of my group is in the crowd, but it seems larger than I anticipated. Either way, that’s a good sign.

“I present no threat to you, yet they launched a sneak attack,” I yell. The water beneath me splashes around, colliding with a few of the invisible PeaceKeepers. As they rub water from their eyes, they lose focus, regaining visibility. One of them holds a knife in one hand. The crowd gasps and I hear muttering from a few people. I’m winning them over. The PeaceKeepers are playing right into my hand.

“You deserve the right to make decisions. To decide your school, to change your career, to help determine what’s legal.”

Four PeaceKeepers hold guns aimed toward me. This is my riskiest play, but it’s time to pull out every stop. My training has prepared me for this moment. Rather than stopping the guns, I put up a field around myself. Proving they hold guns won’t be enough – I need to verify intent.

“What about trials by our peers? What about freedom of the press? We can’t report on something the Council doesn’t deem fit, and we can’t even access history from previous eras. What are they so afraid of us learning?”

One of the PeaceKeepers pulls the trigger. Perfect. Before I have time to think or to fear the collision, I try to slow the bullet. Ideally, it won’t even reach my barrier. Failing miserably, I feel the bullet slam into my invisible wall. I wince as pain shoots through my head and I wonder if it’s broken through. Flinching, I await death, but it doesn’t come. When I open my eyes, I see the bullet stopped in mid-air.

“Silence the defectors,” I nod. People cheer for me and boo the PeaceKeepers. A few of my followers race toward the law enforcers, but I hold them in place. I can’t allow them to start a battle. We have come so far.

“Please, don’t respond to their violence with more of the same. It will only lead to everyone’s downfall. Another war is the last thing we want. All I want is reform. We will bring our demands before Dante.”

“I’ve known Carson my entire life,” a voice erupts from the crowd. I don’t recognize the voice, but when I see the person I vaguely remember his face. All I know is that he’s one of the Class V’s. “He’s pretended to be Powerless to gain the favor of the Class V’s. How do we know he isn’t lying now?”

“I didn’t know of my power,” I quell his fears.

“Of course you’d say that,” another Class V screams. I hadn’t expected the V’s to be so unreceptive to my message. Their dissent could spread throughout the crowd, and I my following is too fragile now. Somehow, I have to convince them to quiet down.

“It’s true. Otherwise, the news would have reported my power like they reported my lack of it,” I try to convince them.

“He kept it quiet from even the media!”

“Did he lie to the Council?”

“No wonder they’re worried.”

“Listen!” I demand. “How can you defend them? As Class V’s, you’ve been marginalized.”

“Don’t let him play with your head!”

“Get the PeaceKeepers!”

“Someone arrest him!”

I’m quickly losing their approval. Things were going so well – there has to be something I can do to regain the overall favor of the crowd. I see unrest brewing within the crowd. This doesn’t look great. My followers are growing angry and looking around at the V’s. Starting to worry they’ll take action into their own hands, I have to decide whether earning their approval and silencing their protests is more important than their safety. Suddenly, I see someone in the crowd fall to the ground with no provocation. On her way down, the woman hits one of my followers. A man beside her throws his hands in the air and puffs out his chest.

“Please, stop!” I yell to them.

“Now who’s silencing dissension?” One of the members of the crowd teases me.

“No!” I argue, but I’m too late. A fistfight breaks out between the two. It isn’t long before the crowd breaks into factions. I have to stop this. Landing, I try to hold everyone still with my telekinesis, but the pounding in my head is too powerful. People start moving again and the crowd breaks into an all-out-brawl. The PeaceKeepers try to make their way towards me and I have no strength left to stop them. They’ve surrounded me.

I feel arms on my shoulders and I know it’s over. I don’t think I have the strength left to fight. My head is pounding and my powers aren’t responding. Before I can turn, the assailant lifts me from the ground.

“Sorry,” Lukas whispers. I don’t have time to process before I feel the world around me zipping away. In the blink of an eye, the environment has changed. Skidding to a stop, he sets me down in front of the base. I want to go back and stop the brawl. I want to turn this back in our favor. Instead, I collapse to the ground and vomit.