“Good evening, all you denizens of the planet Earth. This is GNN and I’m your host, Brendan Baird, bringing you all the updates you need. Tonight we’re here to discuss the rapid expansion of the ILS, in particular its newly announced satellite network. Let’s go to GNN’s super-analysts, Lacey Cook and Liam Reynolds. Lacey, Liam, how are you doing tonight?”

“I’m doing great, Brendan.”

“Same here.”

“Glad to hear it. Well folks, let’s dive right into it. The ILS has confirmed it launched its own satellites into orbit. In addition we’ve heard unconfirmed rumors that the ILS may possess some sort of stealth drone technology. What are your thoughts?”

“I’m extraordinarily worried, Brendan.”

“Oh? And why is that, Lacey?”

“Spy satellites? Stealth drones? We’re stepping into military territory here, Brendan. And a militarized ILS is…an uncomfortable direction for the future.”

“Liam, do you agree?”

“I’m not one for surveillance, but in this case I can accept it. The ILS and Director Green have proven trustworthy time and time again. And I think it’s necessary. Despite every effort everyone has made, villains are only increasing over time, not to mention the latest surge. So anything that helps the heroes round them up that much quicker, I’ll support it. In fact, we’ve seen the ILS attacked twice now. If even the ILS is struggling to keep up, I’m not willing to put any barriers in their way.”

“There has been a lot of villain activity lately.”

“I’m just worried that we’re ignoring the future to solve the present.”

“Can you elaborate on that, Lacey?”

“Time and time again, we’ve just let the ILS handle every crisis that arrives. We let them manage the heroes, the cleanup of collateral damage, and any sort of accountability for the heroes. We let them hold onto the villains, many without any sort of trial or charges at all. Now we’re letting them build a global, military-grade intelligence apparatus just to handle the surge in villains. I still don’t think it’s wise to leave all these decisions and responsibilities in the hands of a single, private organization, no matter how effective or trustworthy they’ve proven to be.”

“What’s wrong with letting the people who are good at the job get it done?”

“That’s the thing, Liam, it shouldn't be their job. The ILS broke the government’s monopoly on violence. Then they accepted all responsibility for heroes, who are mainly accountable to the ILS’s rules. Next they started making arrests and taking custody of villains and rogue heroes alike. Now they’re starting to build military-grade hardware and capabilities. They even built a school! These are not the duties of a private organization, they are the duties of the state. So I’m worried that the ILS is slowly supplanting the state and no one is even talking about it.”

“A sobering thought. Liam, do you agree?”

“I say, if the ILS is supplanting the state, then let them.”

“Liam? That’s a…bold take, even from you.”

“I mean it, Lacey. Because the state is failing. How many villains have been apprehended by government agents? How many city or world ending crises have they resolved? You saw what happened in the Pacific, the most powerful navies in the world were wiped out by one woman. You saw how helpless the Army was to protect us from the Necrosaurus’s hordes. And what has the government’s response been? An underfunded agency that exists only on paper and a bunch of fantastical wonder weapons and super-soldier projects that have yet to produce a single success. The truth is, the world is in danger, and the governments of the world have been unable or unwilling to keep up with the times. So, if I’m forced to make a choice, I’m going with the people that are keeping us safe from the threats we can’t handle. Isn’t that the whole point of a government in the first place?”

“I agree the response from world governments has been inadequate, but I still think there needs to be some form of accountability. I don’t want our governments to just quietly hand off more and more responsibility to an organization none of us participate in. Even if the answer is to let the ILS handle these things, there should at least be a conversation, a specific handing off of powers with negotiated limits on those powers.”

“Sorry to cut in, you two, but we’re getting some breaking news from the ILS! Let’s cut to the live feed on the scene.”

In an empty part of upstate New York, there was an ILS base under construction that was practically a town. There was a full residential area, both barracks and single homes. There were restaurants, laundromats, a hospital, grocery stores; every amenity a modern person would expect. There was even a movie theater.

On the less civilian side of things was a fully functioning base of operations. There was an airfield, hangers full of grav-jets and newly built grav-drones. There were radar installations and listening posts, scanning the horizon. There were even defenses, with anti-air sites and turrets at regular intervals.

And that was only the surface.

An underground complex sprawled underneath the facility, connecting every part of it. One could travel from any part of the base to any other without ever crossing the surface.

And now construction had finally finished.

Londyn stood in the command center of the base as ILS staff worked away at computers, reporting the results of various diagnostics. Londyn watched as green check marks appeared across the screen, until her screen was still. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

“Let’s fire it up.”

There was a low rumble as the Earth began to shake, a humming noise from deep beneath the ground. A crack appeared in the ground around the perimeter of the facility.

The entire base began to rise into the sky.

“Anti-grav core activated and holding steady!”

“Thrusters engaged, altitude gaining!”

“Oscillator cores are still outputting at maximum capacity. No disruptions detected from increased altitude.”

“Structural integrity is holding!”

The ILS’s new mobile HQ was fully operational, ready to respond anywhere on the globe. Heroes were invited to live onboard either permanently or in shifts, to be deployed whenever and wherever they were needed, with all the support the ILS could give them. And should a world-ending threat require the attention of the entire League, they now had a fully-prepared staging ground that could go anywhere it was needed and provide whatever support was needed to both resolve the crisis and aid in the disaster-relief that would follow.

It had taken a ridiculous amount of effort, money, time, and political maneuvering to replicate Miss Le Blank’s design. They couldn’t even find some of the materials she had used; the engineers had worked long and hard coming up with workarounds for that. And of course, almost every government in the world complained, or wanted in on it.

And Londyn had simply told them no.

Like it or not, at this point they needed the ILS, not the other way around. And she would not let anyone stop her from doing what she needed to.

Anyone.

“All systems are green. Orders, ma’am?”

Londyn looked on her monitor as the data from the intelligence team began to feed in.

“Just in time. Let’s show the world what the ILS can do.”

The Nemesis squad sat in the back of their grav-jet, enroute to the target. As they did, Cikizwa spoke into their earpieces.

“Sorry for the quick turnaround, but this is an emergency mission. Professor Scary Illusionist believes the ILS has located his facility, and has offered to trade his new stealth technology for extraction. You’ll get in, grab the Professor and his blueprints, and then get out.”

Saydaa tried half-heartedly to hold in her laughter.

“Professor Scary Illusionist? Who comes up with these names?”

“The mind of a supergenius works in mysterious ways.”

“Says the girl who’s best insult is ‘Aurora losers’.”

“Shut it, you jerk! Let’s see you do better!”

“I don’t need to. I kill my enemies, I don’t play with them.”

“Play with this!”

“Playtime’s over, you two. You’re about to land.”

The team disembarked from their jet in a forest clearing and made their way towards the facility on foot.

And then a massive glacier exploded towards them.

Elise sprung into action, guns and missiles roaring and smashing the ice. But the ice kept growing towards them.

“Warning: Current countermeasures insufficient and this unit lacks time to deploy other means. Please evacuate immediately.”

The team nodded and scattered as Elise backed up. Once they were clear she too leapt to the side.

And then Aurora Legion was upon them.

Saydaa stood up with a grin, eyes glowing.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Aurora losers. Ready to lose again?”

She lifted her hands…

“Void Prison!”

And was surrounded by a black dome. She gasped as the glow faded from her eyes.

Kiyosuke stood up and moved, sprinting towards Voidspeaker when Chronolock stepped in front of him, holding two glowing batons. He scoffed and appeared behind her, his stun blade at the ready.

He swung.

And struck only air as the girl vanished before his eyes.

A moment later she reappeared with a yellow flash of light and swung her batons. Kiyosuke started to dodge but was caught by the tip.

And then electricity surged through him.

Nana took aim and fired but a pink rhinoceros appeared before her, absorbing the bolts. She leapt back into a tree as the rhino charged her, preparing her next shot.

And then a flash of pink struck her from above, a pink panther descending from a higher branch.

Arvid landed next to Elise, his face grim.

“Friend Elise, contact Ms. Mzolisa and request permission to retreat. We have clearly arrived late and are at a disadvantage.”

Elise simply nodded.

“Elise, what is going on down there?”

“Warning: ILS is already onsite, we have been ambushed by Aurora Legion. Chance of mission success is below acceptable limit. Requesting permission to retreat.”

“Really? How did they beat us here? Ugh, forget it, get out of there!”

“Affirmative.”

She turned to Arvid.

“Request: Friendlies need extraction. I require a distraction.”

Arvid drew his blade, which began to glow.

“You’ll have it!”

Arivd leapt into the air with a shout. He landed in the center of the field, slamming his blade down. A crater formed as the ground trembled.

And then Wonder Knight struck him on the jaw.

Arvid took a step back and swung his blade. Wonder Knight ducked underneath and dealt a quick jab to Arvid’s side. Arvid thrust his foot forward but Wonder Knight jumped back.

“I see your movement has improved, have you been practicing?”

Wonder Knight frowned and lifted his fists.

“We all have.”

Arvid grinned and pointed his blade at Wonder Knight.

“I see, then our battle will be legendary…”

A purple bolt soared into the air and a singularity howled into being in the sky.

“...next time that is!”

Arvid jumped into the air, allowing himself to be pulled towards the singularity. As he did, four purple bolts rained from the sky, striking the Nemesis squad.

“Gravity Pull initiated.”

The four were surrounded by purple light and began to pull away from the singularity, towards where Elise floated in the air.

“Thanks for the save, Elise. Now let me down and let’s get these suckers!”

“Negative. Notification: Handler Mzolisa has ordered a retreat.”

“What?! We’re retreating?!”

“Affirmative.”

With that, Elise turned away from the battlefield, pulling the rest of the team with her. As the distance grew, Voidspeaker waved at them.

“Looks like it’s your loss this time, bro. Catch you later, Nemelosers!”

“Oh I’m going to kill him! Put me down! Let me at him!”

Bob let out a sigh as he checked the report. Another failed mission. Londyn’s new network was up and running, the gap in intel and response time between himself and the ILS had closed. He was out of time.

He heaved a sigh. He had just gotten in as the boss’s assistant for his current target, looks like he would have just enough time to take care of this one. He would have to forgo the last one entirely. That guy’s tech was extraordinarily frightening…which is why it was ok. Londyn would do everything in her power to make sure that never saw the light of day.

Which was good because she was going to get her hands on it no matter what Bob did at this point. Oh sure, he could have Nemesis muck things up…but not before the ILS learned what kind of tech was at play. Which meant Nemesis would end up with a huge target on their back if they got involved. He had to admit, even he hadn’t expected Londyn to get every project of hers finished this quickly. Or to bumrush over the politicians and red tape like she had. He…may have underestimated the impact the whole Xiong Huang episode had on her.

Cleaning up is so annoying.