Subject 013: Alfred Bray. Age: 7 years. Weight: 50 kg Height: 58”

Problem: Subject presents with enhanced strength, affecting muscular growth. Muscle fibers grow in number and size exponentially compared to the average for his age – even for a Brawn.

Test: Administer 150 mg/kg of Omega Serum.

Results: Subject had no initial reaction. After monitoring for two weeks, Subject’s left arm and right leg appear uninhibited.

Notes: Dante expects this serum to be completed with insufficient testing. He refuses to authorize more testing subjects until I’m able to convince him of a benefit to them or society. Progress cannot continue to wait on dysfunctional powers. Sacrifices must be made for progress. – Krista Mullen, 708 Anno Imperi Ortu

For what I hope is the last time, I stand in front of the map with Lukas, Jade, and Satoshi. We’ve covered the plan in painful detail and assessed the route of each team. We’ve prepared the bombs and various weapons. We’ve planned the paths toward town hall with the lowest likelihood of confrontation. We’ve trained extensively and we even have ‘walkie-talkies’ to communicate. I don’t think there’s anything further we can do to prepare.

Nonetheless, I feel a strange trepidation regarding the assault. My stomach churns and I feel like I’m missing something important. Maybe this is just how revolutionaries feel, though. I’m leaving behind a small team in case the V’s have nefarious intentions, but I don’t foresee a problem there. Besides, we won’t have to continue living outside anyway if this works.

Going into war, I know we’re going to lose people. That doesn’t weigh on my conscience – they have chosen to do this and they’re willing to make any sacrifice necessary. I don’t think it’s possible we lose – not with how heavily I’ve prepared. For some reason, I still can’t get this feeling out of my mind.

“Are you sure you’re ready to launch this?” Satoshi asks.

“There’s no sense in further delay,” I reply. “We know they’re preparing for us. We’ve trained – at this point all we’re doing is giving them more time. We have to catch them off guard. I’m done waiting.”

“Yeah, we’ve been sitting on our hands long enough,” Jade groans.

“Alright, then we should head out as soon as the sun rises. We’ll travel through the day, split up, get some rest, and attack at nightfall,” Satoshi suggests.

“Should we run over the plan one more time?” Lukas suggests.

“Is there any part of it anyone has questions about?” I ask.

“No, not at all. We’re going to split up and Jade will lead some of the Outsiders to the North and then Satoshi to the South. Me and the runners will go straight from where we entered, to the West. First I’ll run because I’m really fast and I’ll plant Satoshi’s bombs while the others distract them. Then I’ll join the runners and we can draw all kinds of attention on your mark and we all charge inside at the same time. You’ll be on the East side and then we go to Town Hall and we force the Council to surrender,” Lukas babbles.

“Thanks, Lukas, that’s exactly what I was implying with my question,” I mutter sarcastically.

“You’re welcome!” He chirps. Something Lukas said replays itself in my mind and I look toward him with concern.

“Lukas, do not run inside through the hole in the wall.”

“How else are we going to get in?”

“Force them outside. If the gap is still there, then they haven’t repaired it. There’s a reason for that. They’re going to use it to trap you.”

“Okay, good point, so we’ll draw the forces outside,” he nods. He keeps looking around the room and he sounds distracted as he responds to me. Lukas then focuses on the map, apparently entranced with the design. I place my hand under his chin and force his head up so he looks into my eyes.

“Lukas, this is important. I’m trusting you to lead a whole team.”

“I’ve got this Carson! Don’t fall for the traps. Don’t even worry, nothing is going to get by me. I’m your guy!”

“Okay,” I reply, releasing him and looking down at the map myself. With a sigh, I give the colored lines drawn across it one last look. “Everyone knows their teams?”

“Yes sir,” Satoshi replies. Lukas nods rapidly. Jade rolls her eyes and folds her arms.

“Jade?”

“Obviously. Don’t let this go to your head, Powerless. You’re not that great. I’m still going to fight you after all this is over. Maybe I’ll be the leader then.”

“Let’s make it there first.”

“I hate to bring this up again, but I’m not sure how we’re going to stay hidden,” Satoshi pitches in. “These plains are mostly flat ground, and though I can’t deny there are hills, I’m not confident they’ll hide us from lookouts.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. We’re not going to hide,” I assert.

“That seems like a vital aspect of the plan,” Satoshi argues cautiously.

“Lukas will run ahead. He will draw the attention to his team. The rest of us will circle around in a ten mile radius. Then we try to approach stealthily, but if nothing else we have already succeeded in diverting attention. If they try to stop us, we’ll each be fighting fractional forces.”

“They’ll have the advantage. We’ll lose people.”

“It’s the only way,” I assure him. “We can’t transfer powers and cloak ourselves in Calypso’s invisibility. We just have to do what we can.”

“I suppose that’s why we’re waiting until nightfall,” Satoshi accepts cautiously. Clearly, he isn’t in the mindset of a general yet. War will have casualties. Our goal is to minimize them – not eradicate them. It isn’t a glamorous job, but we will each have miles of plains to cover between us and the enemy. That isn’t something which can be done in complete secrecy.

I wait another moment, giving my three generals a chance to voice any other last-minute concerns. The soldiers are waiting outside, ready to move out. They’re ready to take back our rightful home. I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer. When no one takes the immediate chance to voice grievances, I nod and accept their silence as affirmation.

“This is our best chance. We won’t lose. We’ll finally have a home,” I promise them. “When we do, the four of us will have a great feast and laugh about these worries.”

I don’t give them another chance to contradict me. We have to display confidence – we can’t have our soldiers losing faith. Standing tall, I turn and leave city hall, finding myself in front of our small army. Everyone has gathered in the square with their provisions and weapons. Their faces range from eager to terrified, but they’re all ready. This group is leagues above where they were when I arrived. I know nothing can stand in our way.

Looking out over the crowd, I realize I should address them. Perhaps I should tell them how confident I am, rather than thinking it. They may or may not need to hear my words, but a leader is generally supposed to give an inspirational speech before a war. I don’t have much to say to them that hasn’t already been said, and I didn’t prepare a fancy speech about sacrificing their lives for a good cause. Regardless, their hungry eyes beg me for affirmation.

“Everything we have done has prepared us for this day,” I announce. “It’s finally arrived. We will not back down, and we will not allow the Council to repeat their transgressions. No one else will be tossed aside for their power or their beliefs. We will be people. That unity is what separates us from them. We are not here from fear or to follow orders – we are here because we all believe in something. We will fight – and if we must we will die for those beliefs.

“The Council stands for nothing but their own power. Today, that power will fail them. We will overcome – not only for ourselves but for every generation to come. They have imposed their iron fist over humanity for too long. We are not their pawns.”

The people cheer. It doesn’t take much to spark a revolution, it seems. All I needed was the right group of disgruntled people. I’m grateful that I don’t have to be a master wordsmith, as I can’t find the proper words to rile up an audience. Still, they seem to be responding.

“We were cast out and ostracized for nothing more than the circumstances of our birth. They have called us lesser. They have deemed us worthless. Today, we will show the Council they were wrong. We will show them our strength!”

The crowd hollers and my generals seem to take that as their cue to exist the building. The three of them stand beside me, and the confidence of my army seems to renew that of my generals. I know it works wonders for mine. I have nothing to fear. Any remnant of concern is simply due to the fact that the Council has overinflated their importance and power. Breaking away from that perception has been difficult for me, but I know it’s necessary. Now, seeing the entire crowd cheering for me and supporting me as their leader, my nerves have fled. I no longer feel the unsettled feelings in my stomach or the looming dread. I know this is what I was meant to do. This is was I was born. I will succeed.

“We will split into four teams,” I announce to the army. I haven’t given them details of the plan, and I still don’t intend to. Their only role is to follow the orders of their general. Polluting the plan with too many opinions will only make it more likely to have flaws. All I’m going to do is give marching orders. “Each of you will follow one of your generals as they call out names. They will explain your roles as we approach. I will be approaching from the opposite side of the city, so I will leave earlier than the rest of you. Stay strong. The next time we see each other, we will dine in the city hall of Sanctuary. The New Council – one of the people – will convene.”

I don’t wait for the cheers to die down before I fly away. Closing my eyes, I picture the energy of the wind propelling me forward. I can’t tell exactly how fast I’m moving, but I feel the wind pick up speed as it whips my hair into my face. When I open my eyes again, I’m able to see the walls in the distance. From this high up, I can practically see the entire world. The rolling plains seem endless from the ground, but in the sky I can see the mountains which terminate them.

Altering my course, I fly in a wide arc around the city. Even if someone were patrolling the air, they would think me a bird. I’m too far away to see any detail of the city, and therefore I’m far enough to avoid detection. Of course, I can’t discount the possibility that someone has Kyle’s vision without the drawbacks, and they may be suspended by a flier. Even so, they couldn’t predict my plan from seeing me in the air.

When I arrive in the general vicinity of the West side of Sanctuary, I lower my altitude significantly. I slowly, cautiously, approach – using hills to conceal myself as much as possible. When I reach the closest hill, I sit and remove my backpack. I press my back against the hill and remove my walkie-talkie and food. It’s easy to forget time when I’m flying, and I hadn’t even noticed the sun climb to the center of the sky and begin to fall down the other side. Facing the sun and watching as it inches toward the horizon, I eat the provisions I packed.

Patience is difficult, but I’ve waited this long. I know I can handle a few more hours. Trapping myself in my mind, I try to pass the time with thought. Boredom starts to corrupt my ideas and give me a bit of a grandiose sense of my own power. I start to wonder if I could handle the entire invasion on my own. I don’t want to wait for everyone else to reach their designated positions. Like Satoshi taught me – energy is everywhere. The entire city wouldn’t be able to stand against me.

Still, I should wait. I don’t know what they’ve prepared, and overconfidence is the quickest way to get myself killed. My ability isn’t what’s important – logic is. So, despite the itch growing within me, I sit and watch the sun as it seems to sit motionless in the endless sky.

Tufts of yellow grass sway in a gentle breeze, greedily absorbing the light of the setting sun. The wind seems to sing me a lullaby as it wisps through my hair. The world outside is so peace and serene at times – I don’t understand why the Council wants to keep it hidden. The Beasts are a non-issue if precautions are taken. I start to wonder if taking back Sanctuary is really worth it. I can’t convince myself it’s not, though. The vacation to the Outside world has been beautiful, but I still want to go home. I miss the technology and comforts of the city. Besides, I deserve to be there. I can’t let the Council get away with what they’ve done. This is my duty. Static from the walkie-talkie pulls me from my ruminations before a voice filters in through the noise.

“Team A is in position,” Lukas asserts. Before I can reply, I hear another click and more static.

“Who says you’re team A?” Jade growls over the radio.

“Sorry, I just claimed it. Anyway, we’re running in the hole that’s the closest and already is open so it just makes sense but also dibs.”

“I’m stronger than you. My team will do more of the fighting. You’re just a distraction.”

“Both very important pieces of the puzzle,” I sigh. “Is it really that important, Jade? We don’t have official team names.”

“Only an imbecile would think his team is more important than mine. We’re the actually offensive part,” Jade asserts. I don’t understand how she can be so childish sometimes and so composed others. Unfortunately, this is clearly not the medium to have that discussion.

“Alright, it doesn’t matter. The team names are not categorized by importance to the mission, I’m making the decision that they will be named after their generals.”

“Team Lukas in position,” Lukas reiterates, quickly accepting my compromise.

“Team Jade in position,” Jade groans.

“Team Satoshi nearing position,” Satoshi offers.

“Alright. Everyone take cover and hold your ground until I give the order. We will wait until nightfall. Regroup with your troops and keep up the morale.”

I set the walkie-talkie down and sigh. My army of misfits is not the easiest to manage, but I have to trust they’ll be capable when it matters. They haven’t let me down yet.

The sky darkens as hues of purple and orange replace the bright blue. Finally, the sun takes refuge for the night behind the distant mountains. Any color flees from the night sky and is replaced with pure darkness. Under the cover of a new moon, we will make our assault. Aside from a few stray stars, the night is encased in a shroud of perfect darkness.

The time is finally here. We will take back what’s ours. The Council won’t even see it coming – despite all their training. All we have to do is follow the plan and be smart. I know I shouldn’t take pride in our victory before it happens, but I can hardly stop myself from being preemptive. Calming myself down, I pick up the communicator. Adopting a neutral yet commanding tone, I press the button.

“It’s time,” I order.

“Yes sir,” Lukas replies. I don’t know what I expected. The bombs aren’t placed yet, so there of course isn’t a major explosion. I wouldn’t hear any commotion from Lukas running or the others starting a ruckus on the other side of the city. Still, the stillness of the air is unsettling. I want to check in, but all that will serve to do is distract my generals. Instead, I begin my move toward the wall. We will all draw near and use the explosions as our signal to enter the city. This is the plan, and there is no flaw in it.

“Bombs are set and I’m clear. Whenever you’re ready,” Lukas announces.

“Hold, Satoshi,” I command. “Until we’re a bit closer.”

“Stay a few miles out,” Satoshi warns Jade. After a few minutes, I order Satoshi to detonate the bombs. He switches his radio frequency to do so, and I know I won’t hear from him again until it’s over.

The sky illuminates once again as bombs destroy parts of the wall on the North and South of the city. Though I’m nowhere near the explosions, the noise still resonates in my ears. Nonetheless, I race forward, picking up my pace at the cue to charge. Static from my radio draws me to a halt. Did someone get injured in the explosions?

“Carson!” Lukas chirps cheerily. I can practically hear the laughter in his voice. “We charged just like you said and you were right. They expected me to run in first so there was razor wire in the wall. They actually thought I’d be stupid enough to just run through it and cut myself in half but I’m way smarter than they think and I’m quick on my feet. I’m going to cut it and we’ll be in the city and it will be no effort. Like I said, you were right but don’t worry!”

I try to click the button to tell him to stop rambling, but while he’s talking I’m unable to do so. A wave of panic washes over me as I hear what sounds like footsteps in the background of his rant. I remember the hole in the wall that I’d created, and I know how easy it would be to hide within it.

“Lukas! The wire isn’t the trap!” I scream, holding the button as if it will do anything. “Lukas!”

“Anyway I guess I shouldn’t keep talking because we’re in the middle of a plan but the plan is just going so well and I think it’s super cool that we thought of it and you told me like ‘Hey Lukas, there’s going to be a trap’ and you were totally right! I don’t know how you knew. I mean I guess I knew too but I didn’t know what but when I saw it I thought it was so funny because of course I can stop myself or I wouldn’t be very good with my power –”

Another explosion cuts Lukas off. This one doesn’t sound like the bombs, and it doesn’t paint the sky with an array of colors. Instead, it echoes through the speaker of the walkie-talkie. Even when the sound is cut off, the explosion echoes in my mind.

“Lukas!” I scream. I press the button, calling to him, but when I release it I only get static. I try again, hoping there’s some time of interference. Logically, I know that isn’t a real possibility, but I can’t bring myself to accept the truth. It’s a mistake. It has to be. Pressing the button harder as if that will send the signal more clearly, I call out to him once again.

“Lukas!”