Another child has arrived at the perimeter of the wall. There doesn’t seem to be a particular drop spot, so I continue my patrols. This beautiful baby girl would have been alone had I not found her – and for no reason besides an inability to control her innate invisibility. While I will not openly speak ill of the Council, I must say – this practice is appalling. The Council has established a standard of beauty and usefulness which is required of their citizens without making it apparent to them. The willingness to abandon infants will invariably lead to a mindset which accepts discarding those which society deems less useful. I fear the day the Council remembers that humans decay with age. – Satoshi Eldric, 715 Anno Imperi Ortu

As I finish recounting my story, Satoshi folds his arms and whistles. Neither Jade nor Lukas seem to have much to add, but Lukas shifts uncomfortably. I don’t like facing the memories any more than he does, but I need Satoshi to trust me. He may not be the leader of the outsiders, but he has their ears – an I need their trust.

If I’m lucky, the Council will believe I’m dead. They might think the Beasts destroyed me – as they’ve spent their lives telling the people nothing could survive outside their walls. However, I have learned the hard way that fortune has no predilection for me. Anyway, the Council is filed with scheming people. Most of them aren’t stupid.

Therefore, it’s far more likely they’ll be preparing for my inevitable return. They’ll fortify and strengthen their numbers. They will militarize their police force. By the time I’m strong enough to return they’ll be ready for me. What they won’t be prepared for is an army of people they’ve rejected.

I hide my nerves as I watch Satoshi toy with the information I’ve presented. He clicks his tongue, widens his eyes, rubs his clean-shaven face, and sighs quietly. With every movement, I expect him to respond somehow. Every time, I’m disappointed. Just as I’m beginning to believe I hadn’t earned his favor, he chuckles quietly and shakes his head.

“They’ve become rather paranoid after Morgan Hudson, haven’t they?” He chuckles. I narrow my eyes. I don’t know why it surprises me that he knows that name – he’s already told me he grew up in the city. Noticing my confusion, he offers a brief explanation. “I was just a boy when he took control. His power fascinated me, so I tried to learn everything I could, but information was surprisingly difficult to come by.”

“Difficult?” I scoff. “They practically use him as a folk tale to frighten children.”

“Of course, but I mean true information. Who he was – how his power functioned.”

“He could control minds. He tried to take control of the Council and claim the city for himself. Anyone who opposed him was subdued. If not for Dante’s willpower, Morgan would have controlled the entire Council. Dante was able to protect his mind from corruption and save the city,” Lukas rambles, reciting the story as we’d all heard it.

“Okay,” Satoshi laughs, standing and stretching. Conciliatorily, he shrugs and waves a hand. “Perhaps they have shared more than they did in my day.”

I get the feeling that Satoshi knows more than he’s letting on, but I don’t particularly care. The Council tried to use Morgan Hudson as an excuse to fear my power. Simply because our powers both manifest externally, they think I’m the same as him. I’m sure people were just as fearful of the original powered people. I would think Dante Amar of all people would understand the natural course of evolution.

“Well, perhaps we can learn how your power works,” Satoshi suggests. “I assume these mutations will only become more frequent.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s simply the natural course of all things. Throughout history, we’ve improved upon the traits left to us by our ancestors. Why should that change now?” I don’t respond to his rhetorical question, but the silence which follows makes me wonder if he was actually expecting an answer. One corner of his mouth tugs upward into a smile. “Besides, it’s been quite a while since I’ve had the opportunity to solve a puzzle.”

“I’m not your experiment,” I snap.

“My apologies, I’ve given you the wrong impression. I want to help you, Carson. First, we must find your limits. Then we can break them. Only then will you be able to defeat the Council.”

I feel the corners of my mouth pulling themselves upward. For more reasons than I can process, I finally feel hope growing within me. With someone as intelligent as Satoshi helping me, I know there’s no chance I lose. This man makes even Krista Mullen seem uneducated. I’m sure she will be devising their battle plan, but I have a man with the knowledge of every historical battle on my side.

“Wait,” Jade stammers, finally breaking her silence and her tough act. I hear her voice break with concern, which surprises me. Glancing over my shoulder, I see her furrowing her brow. When she notices that I’ve recognized her expression, she stiffens up. Still, she asks her question. “Are you saying you’re going to make Carson more powerful?”

“I’m not going to make Carson anything,” Satoshi shrugs.

“Don’t patronize me,” she growls. “You know what I meant.”

“I do think it’s quite possible, based on the information Carson has provided, that he hasn’t been using his power anywhere near its capacity.”

“Make me stronger too,” Jade demands.

“Are we getting power-ups? I would love to get a power-up. I don’t know what I can do really, I’m already pretty fast. Isn’t that the point of power-ups, though? Like, our powers will change in ways we couldn’t have expected. What if I was able to pass the sound barrier? Or light! Then I could teleport. Maybe I’ll be able to control friction or like make a whirlwind with my arms!” Lukas starts spinning his arms rapidly as he rambles.

“Shut up, Lukas,” Jade spits.

“Well, if I’m going to fight, I have to be faster!”

“I don’t care if you fight or not,” Jade growls.

“Passionate followers you have,” Satoshi observes. Hearing the word, Jade turns her attention from Lukas and focuses her fiery gaze at Satoshi. Threateningly, she takes one step toward him. I hold my hand toward her in case she tries anything violent, but she scoffs and pushes my hand aside. Biting back my pride, I step back and let her handle her own problem. I’ll still intervene if necessary, but I’d rather not fight her in the middle of city hall. I’m not sure it will take much to lost Satoshi’s trust, but I think destroying buildings is a surefire way to do just that.

“I am not his follower,” Jade informs Satoshi, emphasizing each syllable.

“My apologies,” he shrugs. “I suppose I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“No, you shouldn’t.”

“Are you dating, then?” Satoshi asks – his curiosity forcing him to pry further than appropriate. At that question, Jade’s nostril’s flare up and she steps toward him once again.

“No,” I laugh, stepping between them. “She’s my rival.”

“What’s so funny about that idea?” Jade snaps, pushing me to the side. Stumbling, I shake my head and sigh.

“You’re not my type, Jade,” I explain.

“You think you’re my type?”

“I can honestly say I do not.”

“Good.”

“Is this sexual tension? I’ve never known what people meant when they said that but it feels palpable,” Lukas stammers.

“If that’s what you’re feeling, I can guarantee it’s mistaken,” I inform him.

“Make me stronger,” Jade demands once again, clearly having had enough of the conversation. She turns her attention back to Satoshi and reaches her hand toward him. Lifting my arm, I hold her in place. She grunts and struggles against my telekinetic grasp. The more she strains, the more she acts like a capture animal. “I am supposed to be stronger than you!”

“All powers improve with training,” Satoshi explains. “Let’s see what we can do for all of you? We’ll want to be at our best.”

My head starts pounding, but I try not to let Jade see it. Pretending she hasn’t weakened my grasp, I release her and let her think it was of my own accord. Carefully, I steady my breathing.

“First, I think I should introduce you to the others,” Satoshi says, snapping and holding up a finger. Without waiting for a response, he turns and opens the door. Closely, I follow behind him. Jade fumes silently, but she trudges along as well. Lukas, unaffected by anything which transpired, practically skips alongside us. Under his breath, he starts muttering about how fast he can be.

Satoshi leads us around town for what feels like ages, but I know I have to act interested. These people won’t follow me if I don’t make any effort to meet them and interact with them on a personal level. Still, I’m exhausted by the sheer number of names he’s throwing at me. I don’t foresee any future where I remember the names of all of these people. It doesn’t seem to me that a general should be expected to remember the names of his soldiers, though.

“You’ve already met Calypso,” Satoshi introduces. The woman has invisible patches over her face and hands. I can only assume there are more covered by her clothing. “Most powers manifest around age five, but hers were with her at birth. She was instantly abandoned by the Council without a name, so I chose one from an ancient Greek myth.

“I’m sure you also remember Alfred. As his super strength developed, his muscles grew to compensate, bulking up one arm and the opposite leg. The Council decided he didn’t meet their standards, so they sent him away.

“This is Conroy. He calls himself a shifter who can take the form of animals, but we’ve only seem him become a wolf on full moons, so we’re pretty sure he’s just a werewolf.

“Kenneth here basically sweats combustible liquid and is able to ignite himself. That said, he isn’t immune to the heat or smoke himself.” As we pass him, Kenneth waves and tries to smile. However, his face, coated in scar tissue, is barely able to move. His arms are coated with third-degree burns as well.

“You know Ravi as well,” Satoshi continues. “This is Lori. Her blood is poisonous. Actually, any of her bodily fluids are deadly to anyone else. We’ve found that even she is allergic to her own saliva.

Satoshi continues to introduce me to every poor soul in town. Each of them is negatively affected by their power in some way. I can’t help but wonder if the Council believed leaving them to their deaths was a more merciful option. Whatever their intentions, they’ve unintentionally given me an army.

I try to keep all of their stories in my mind, but they quickly fade away. Rather than focusing on what each of them individually wants to hear, I decide to focus on the things they have in common.

As we wander around, the citizens seem to be gaining interest in our small band. A crowd begins to form as Satoshi leads us back to city hall. I know they’ve been interested in hearing what I have to say. Whether they want stories from the inside, assurance of my lack of allegiance to the Council, or simply some explanation of why they aren’t good enough to enter the city – they all seem to want something from me. I don’t particularly care what lead them to gather, because it serves my purposes quite well.

I slow to a stop just before city hall. Satoshi, Lukas, and Jade continue a few more steps toward the door, but I turn around to face the crowd. Everyone freezes and a few of them stumble backward. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’d say to them when I got the opportunity. I can’t divulge all of my past failures – they would lose any faith in me – but I have to use the lessons I’ve learned to guide me. I must earn their loyalty and avoid acting rashly.

Composing myself, I slowly lift myself into the sky. Satoshi, Jade, and Lukas turn and look up toward me. The crowd falls silent as they watch me rise slowly. I assume word has spread that I’m not a flier, because their expressions are far more awestruck than I would have assumed.

“My name is Carson Adachi,” I announce. “Like most of you, the Council has banished me and my friends. Their excuses vary. For some, it’s appearances. Others are dissenters, or their powers are deemed unworthy. For me, the Council forced me away because they feared their power. The outcome is no different for any of us, though. We are disdained and dejected. We feel inadequate. As though due to our very genetics, we are failures.”

People start murmuring to one another. I see some of the citizens raising or pointing to their deformities. The crowd beneath me looks monstrous – but that doesn’t give the Council the right to reject them. They couldn’t control the circumstances of their birth. My passion leads me to want to move my hands as I talk, but I carefully keep them pointed downward to maintain balance.

“The Council could have helped you all. They have the ability to correct powers. Their hospitals could have stopped side-effects. Instead, they chose to abandon you!”

While I have no way of knowing whether that statement is true, I do think it is. If the Council was able to develop a serum which steals powers, I doubt it would be impossible to simply stifle side-effects of dangerous powers. Anyway, it’s stirring up the crowd, which is exactly what I need.

“We are no worse than the people who get to live within those walls! We don’t deserve to be trapped out here, struggling to survive. We deserve what they have.”

“It beats being under the Council’s rule!” One of the Outsiders yells argumentatively.

“You’re right,” I agree. “I’ve tried fighting for equal rights. That’s failed. The Council will not listen to reason – there is no longer a peaceful option. We will take their city and bring true peace for all people – regardless of their power. We can have a home without beasts. We are outcasts no longer!”

The crowd cheers and I feel a smile spreading across my face. However, before I lower myself, I decide to continue my speech. Though I seem to have already earned their allegiance, I know I can drive the point home further. There are a few in the crowd still who seem unconvinced, so I have to approach the argument from another standpoint to win them over. Anger and vengeance won’t win over everyone – so I have to find a humanitarian cause.

“This isn’t a battle for revenge or to take back what’s ours. You’ve all made great lives out here. This is a war for liberation. The people inside are oppressed by the Council and they don’t even know it. The Council is breeding mindless drones. Those people are victims as much as you and I are. Alone, I can’t help them. Together, we have the strength to set them free. We can take Sanctuary and offer those people true freedom. With our combined strength, no power can stop us!”

This time, as the cheers rise, they seem to emanate from every voice. I have an entire civilization cheering for me, shouting my name. Levitating above my people, I see the fruition of all of Michael’s dreams. I wouldn’t have made it here without him, but now I no longer have to rely on him to move forward. I will become the leader I should have been back then.

Slowly, I lower myself to the ground as people continue to chant my name. Battle-cries rise from the crowd and many of them pump their fists into the air. Jade exhales loudly and raises her eyebrows in surprise. Lukas, energetic as ever, joins in the chanting. When I land, people rush forward and surround me.

“Let’s do it, Carson,” the Brawn cheers, pushing his way forward with his disproportionate arm. It looks as though his left arm were taken from a gorilla and sewn onto his body. “You’re telling me they could have fixed me? They chose not to. Fine. I’ll show them they made a mistake.”

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, my friend,” I smile, patting his shoulder and trying to hide the fact that I’ve forgotten his name. “However, we have to take this slowly.”

“I’ve been waiting for this. I’m ready now. Let’s take this fight to them!”

“I like this one,” Jade muses. Narrowing my eyes, I turn my head and glare at her. Shrugging innocently, she laughs under her breath.

Adopting my most commandeering tone, I sigh and turn to face him. I have to stay strong. I won’t allow my followers to determine the course of action, and I won’t rush. I have to make sure I do things right this time.

“You’re not ready,” I tell the man harshly. I try to soften my tone as I turn to the rest of the crowd. Louder, I address all of them and elaborate. “None of us are. But we will be.”