A helicopter is prepped for takeoff at an underground helipad at a military base. Workers are fueling the aircraft. A woman arrives at the helipad, a patch on her suit says, “S.T.O.R.M.” She approaches one of the workers.

Worker: Welcome, Director Alexander.

Alexander: How long will it take for the helicopter to arrive at the building Kline is in?

Worker: ETA of about 40 minutes, ma’am, and that’s being generous.

Alexander: We’ll miss the deadline.

Worker: Well, you’re gonna have to yell at the guy for being so specific with his time frame.

Voice: *from afar* It’ll be fine. They’re not going to be that reckless.

Alexander turns around, two men in flight suits approach the helipad. One of them has a blindfold covering his eyes.

Alexander: Pause and Subzero, I assume you’re ready for your mission?

Zero: Defusing a living nuke? I don’t think anyone can be “ready” for that.

Pause: He means yes.

Alexander: There are a lot of lives at risk; just stick to the plan. I don’t want you freelancing.

Zero: You know we wouldn’t-

Pause: We pose as pilots for the helicopter handoff. Once we land, we’ll get out of the helicopter with our hands up, pretending to submit to them. Once they drop their guard, I’ll shut him down, and Zero will freeze him.

Alexander: And you don’t think they’ll grow impatient?

Pause: If they wanted to blow up the building and the surrounding area, they would have done so already. What they want is a way out; they aren’t gonna pass that up. He gave a short timetable to make us think our hands are tied when in reality: theirs are.

Alexander: Alright, I trust your judgment. Good luck, men.

Pause: Thank you, Director.

Zero: We’ll complete this mission, no doubt.

Alexander: I hope so.

Pause and Zero board the helicopter.

Zero: Hey, why did you cut me off back there?

Pause: Many people will die if we screw this up. It isn’t the time for jokes.

Zero: You know we aren’t screwing this up. I know there’s a lot on the table here, but we’ve been hunting this guy down for months, we’ve simulated-

Pause: Just fly.

Zero gets frustrated, he presses a few buttons, and the two take off toward Atlanta.

Alexander: *To the worker* Stay in contact with them if anything goes wrong, find me. I have to inform Lionel that they’ll be late.

Worker: Yes, ma’am!

Adrian’s eyes revert to normal.

Adrian: Alright, come with me.

Adrian starts to walk away.

Hayze: So are you not gonna give me an explanation or?

Adrian: Nope.

Hayze follows behind Adrian.

Hayze: So I assume you can copy abilities based on your hero name. I’m just not sure how.

Adrian: Look, I’ll give you an explanation once you get past the first part of my training. After that, you can ask questions, and we’ll get into the real stuff.

Hayze: (He’s hiding something… I’m not really concerned with how his quirk works, but how he was able to learn and master one of my own moves so quickly.) Fair enough.

Adrian: Good.

At the crime scene in Atlanta, Lionel talks on his phone.

Lionel: You know you’re playing with fire here. This might be our last conversation if this guy doesn’t want to wait.

Alexander: *phone* Just do it. Pause and Subzero are on the way. I have 0 doubt in my mind that they’ll be able to handle the situation cleanly, but they have to get there first.

Lionel: *grunts* Fine, I’ll talk to them.

Alexander: *phone* Thank you.

Lionel hangs up the phone.

Gunslinger: That didn’t sound good.

Lionel: That’s because it isn’t. S.T.O.R.M. is sending two agents in a helicopter.

Gunslinger: S.T.O.R.M.? You mean that government agency that employs heroes as agents?

Lionel: The Strategic Threat Opposition and Resistance Militia. It’s a way for the government to have its own supply of heroes to utilize for times like these.

Gunslinger: How tough are the agents?

Lionel: They’re recruited by S.T.O.R.M itself and trained diligently, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Colossus, but if they were public heroes like us, they’d potentially be A-Rank.

Gunslinger: It must suck working in the shadows, not getting recognition for your heroic acts.

Lionel: That’s why you have to be strong-willed to be a S.T.O.R.M. Agent. It’s a tall order.

Gunslinger: The ones they sent will have this handled, right? I don’t think I want to be vaporized today.

Lionel: Oh, trust me, they will.

Lionel grabs the megaphone.

Lionel: *into megaphone* I assume you’re still in there?

Hackmaster: *Through the laptop* Where is our helicopter?

Lionel: It’s on its way, but it will be slightly late.

Hackmaster: *laptop* I gave you a deadline-

Lionel: And we’re giving you a helicopter, like you asked for, now sit tight and I will inform you when it has arrived.

Hackmaster: *laptop* You think you can talk to me like that?

Lionel: Do you want to live?

Hackmaster: *laptop* Answer my question!

Lionel: If you wanted to die, you would have blown your friend up already. You’re bluffing, but we know that you’ll use him as a last resort. So you’re going to get your helicopter. You just have to wait a little longer.

Gunslinger: What the hell are you doing! You’re gonna get us-

Lionel gestures to Gunslinger to quiet down. Gunslinger reluctantly complies.

Hackmaster: I don’t want a single cop in this building! I have control of the security cameras; I’ll know if any are in here.

Lionel: I had a feeling you’d want it that way. The building is empty of anyone besides you two.

Hackmaster: Good.

Hackmaster disconnects from the laptop. Gunslinger frustratedly walks over to Lionel.

Gunslinger: Do you have a death wish!

Lionel: No.

Gunslinger: Then why are you coaxing a man with a nuke in his possession!

Lionel: Because I’m not afraid of a man that hides behind machinery to communicate with people he’s threatening.

Gunslinger: And you’re just gonna play with people’s lives because of that?

Lionel: It’s not playing if you know what you’re doing.

Gunslinger gets angry and walks away.

Lionel: (Pause and Zero… get here soon… please.)

Iota is standing nearby, disguised as a police officer.

Iota: (S.T.O.R.M. is on the way? It Looks like my timetable just accelerated.)

Colossus and Justus are standing on a rooftop. Justus is leaning on the edge while Colossus is on his phone.

Colossus: Do you want me to head towards the situation?

Alexander: *phone* No, I just wanted to inform you of what’s going on. I have two of my best men on their way.

Colossus: Pause is one of them, I assume?

Alexander: *phone* Yes.

Colossus: Then everything is fine. Thank you for the call. Let me know how everything goes.

Alexander: *phone* I will.

Colossus ends the call and approaches Justus.

Justus: What was that about?

Colossus: A situation in Atlanta, it’s nothing for us to be concerned about.

Justus: Why not? Isn’t the number 1 hero supposed to be concerned with any criminal activity?

Colossus: Yes, most of the time, but my fellow heroes have it under control.

Justus: Like Pause? I’ve never heard of him.

Colossus: That’s because Pause is a special kind of hero.

Justus: How so?

Colossus: He works for a government agency. He was chosen for the job because his quirk is an ability that allows him to freeze someone in time for as long as he maintains eye contact with them.

Justus: That sounds extremely powerful.

Colossus: That’s because it is, but there’s one catch.

Justus: What’s that?

Colossus: He can’t turn it off.

Pause and Zero fly through the sky in the helicopter.

Zero: We’ve got about 10 minutes until we get there. You should probably take your blindfold off so that you don’t arouse suspicion.

Pause: Fine.

Pause takes off his blindfold.

Zero: Just don’t make eye contact with me, buddy.

Pause: I said no jokes.

Zero: *sighs* Fine… we’ll be arriving shortly.

X is still pacing.

X: You know, for a guy who says he’s got this whole situation under control, you sure were letting that guy talk mad shit to you.

Hackmaster: He’s wise for a bipedal feline. He knows I have ulterior motives and won’t risk them unless I have to.

X: If they’re not going to let us leave, I might as well blow this place to smithereens!

Hackmaster: No! That’s not necessary!

X: Why not!

Hackmaster: Just because they’re catching on doesn’t mean they’re not going to comply. They’re sending the helicopter, and although they more than likely have a trojan horse on board. I can hack into the chopper’s system and pilot it remotely. I’ll threaten the pilots to parachute out, and we’ll escape. We’re in the clear, X!

Iota: Oh, on the contrary…

Hackmaster and X are startled as Iota has snuck into their apartment.

X: Who the hell are you?

Iota: Your proverbial life vest.

X: What’s that supposed to mean?

Hackmaster notices the Iota ring; his eyes widen.

Hackmaster: (Are you serious!)

X: Answer me, you creepy fuck! How did you get in here?

Iota: That information isn’t important right now.

Iota notices Hackmaster staring at the ring.

Iota: See something you like?

Hackmaster gulps.

Hackmaster: (A while ago, I hacked into the S.T.O.R.M. database to clear any information they have about me. I do that once every couple of months to keep their trail cold. That’s when I found out about “the rings,” but there was limited information on them. That’s when I decided to recruit X and use his power to learn more. It’s been months, and I haven’t been able to find anything… and now some guy shows up wearing one? What the hell is this?)

Iota: Well?

Hackmaster: Your ring is unique, that’s all.

Iota: Oh really? Would you like a closer look?

Iota takes a few steps towards X and Hackmaster.

X: Keep your distance.

Iota chuckles.

Iota: Do you two have any idea how bad of a position you’re in?

Hackmaster: We’re perfectly fine; I’ve already negotiated our way out.

Iota: What, you mean the helicopter with two S.T.O.R.M. Agents on board?

Hackmaster gets tense.

Hackmaster: What? How do you know that!

Iota: I have my ways. There’s no way you’re getting out of this building. Once that helicopter lands on the roof of this building, it’s game over for you.

X: Then I guess I’ll just have to go out with a bang!

Hackmaster: X! Don’t believe this guy. He’s got no proof!

Iota: (With the way he’s treating his companion, Hackmaster shouldn’t be much of an issue. However, he seems to know what the Iota Ring is… so that makes him a loose end, and I’ll have to tie him up… later.)

Iota turns to X.

Iota: Let’s have a chat.

Hackmaster: Hey! We’re not done talking here! I’ve hacked into the greatest security systems on the planet, don’t think for a second that I’m some sort of joke!

Iota: X was it?

Hackmaster: Don’t ignore me!

X: What is it?

Iota: You’ve had quite the hard life, haven’t you?

Hackmaster: X, don’t talk to him!

X: What do you mean by that?

Iota: I’ve heard the story, I won’t repeat it to avoid giving you grief, but I know that you’re a man with a lot of pent-up aggression towards the world.

X stares at Iota for a few seconds.

X: Maybe.

Iota: Besides this simpleton next to you, do you feel alone in this world?

X: Even with him, I feel like a lone wolf, or I guess, in my case, a lone explosive.

Iota: Well, my friend, you’re not alone.

X: Hm?

Hackmaster: What do you mean by that?

Iota: I’m sorry but was I talking to you?

Hackmaster: Hey! I’m just as much a part of this as he-

X: Quiet down, you fucking nerd! I wanna hear what this guy has to say.

Iota: Thank you, X.

Hackmaster grinds his teeth.

Hackmaster: (This is bad… I can see what this guy is up to. He’s going to try turning X against me!)

Iota: I have many followers that come from broken homes with troubled pasts… just like you. They were alone before I brought them together, but now they have each other… all united with one sole purpose: to get revenge on this awful world we live in.

X: Followers? What is this? Some kind of cult?

Iota chuckles.

Iota: It’s no cult; it’s a safe haven. Every group needs a leader, and in this case, that’s me.

X: Can we just cut to the chase? You’re starting to bore me.

Iota: I want you to join my cause.

Hackmaster: X is with me, jackass!

X: I’m not with anybody! So shut up before I make you, little bitch!)

Hackmaster trembles.

X: Where were we again? You want me… to join you?

Iota: I assume you’re with this ignoramus because he says you’ll be able to get back at the people who locked you in an icebox for more than a decade.

X: That’s right.

Iota: Well, you can do so much more with my guidance.

X: Like what?

Iota: Say you were to detonate at full power, how much of this city would be caught in the blast?

X: Maybe a couple of blocks at best?

Iota: With my help, you could take out nearly a fourth.

This piques X’s interest.

Hackmaster: (SHIT!)

X: Is this how you convince people to join you? Promise them power?

Iota: And revenge, don’t forget that.

X: Okay… but what’s the catch?

Hackmaster: X! You’re not seriously considering-

X: I SAID BE QUIET!

X body begins pulsating energy, Hackmaster shuts up and backs away from X.

X: Now… go on.

Iota: You let me mark you with the Iota Ring as a member of the Iota Movement. This mark will allow me to remove the restraints of mind and make you the strongest version of yourself imaginable, all you need to do is call for me, and I’ll grant you your power.

X: A mark, eh? What’s the downside?

Iota: The mark will allow me to control you telepathically, but I never do that to my loyal followers.

X: And I’m supposed to take your word for it?

Iota: Oh, Zaire and Wyatt, why don’t you two come out now.

Zaire and another boy named Wyatt enter the room.

Iota: Show him your marks.

Zaire rolls up his sleeve to reveal a pink iota symbol on his forearm; Wyatt’s is in the palm of his hand.

Zaire: The mark is what ties us to Master. It’s a conduit for him to stream us power. He would never use it against us unless it was for our own good.

Wyatt: Master gives us strength, unity, and most importantly, a home.

X: “Master?” Is that part of the deal?

Iota: Of course not. It’s just a trend, not a requisite.

Zaire: You don’t have many options X, but even if you did, I would recommend this one.

X: And why is that?

Zaire: I was nothing but an orphan roaming the streets stealing food to survive the day. I didn’t have a home or friends. Now I have both, and I no longer need to steal my meals. Master gave me a lot of things, but the thing that I’m most grateful for… is a purpose. So tell me, X, do you want a purpose in life?

X contemplates.

Hackmaster: (He’s seriously considering this!)

X steps forward.

X: You said “nearly a fourth,” right?

Iota: Maybe even more.

X: I’ve been locked in a cage for most of my life. it wasn’t a fun time by any means, but it wasn’t the lack of freedom that ground my gears… it was the lack of power. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the “friends” I could make. I just want to make it so when I go boom… I take as many people with me as I can.

Hackmaster gulps, X walks toward Iota.

X: I’ll join you.

Iota: Good answer.

Pause and Zero land the helicopter on the roof. They look confused.

Zero: Where the hell are they?

Pause: Something is up…

Hackmaster starts backing up toward his laptop.

Iota: Now about that loose end…

Hackmaster gets scared and runs for his laptop. Zaire warps in front of him and smashes it.

Hackmaster: (FUCK!)

Iota: Wyatt, leave the bodies.

X: What’s he doing?

Iota: We wouldn’t want the authorities to know you're still alive now, would we?

Wyatt rips a single hair off of X’s head.

X: Ow! What the hell was that for!

Wyatt: I need a piece of DNA.

Wyatt walks over to the debris of Hackmaster’s laptop and finds a hair.

Wyatt: What will the method of death be this time, Master?

Iota: Murder-suicide.

Wyatt: Yessir.

Wyatt’s eyes start glowing as fake dead bodies of X and Hackmaster are formed from the hairs, both with gunshot wounds in their heads.

Hackmaster: What the fuck…

Iota: Zaire, fetch a gun, and make sure you wear gloves.

Zaire: Yessir.

Zaire opens a warp gate and leaves.

X: That looks exactly like us…

Iota: Wyatt’s quirk is called “Imposter.” With a single piece of DNA, he can forge a dead corpse of that person with any method of death.

X: Damn…

Zaire returns, holding a gun.

Iota: Looks like we’re just about done here.

Hackmaster: What about me!

Iota: Oh right, Zaire?

Zaire opens a warp gate, Hackmaster falls through.

Hackmaster: What the hell!

The gate closes.

Iota: I’ll deal with him in a moment.

A warp gate opens behind Iota.

Iota: X and Wyatt head home; I’ll be there soon.

X: What’s going to happen to Hackmaster?

Iota: I think you already know.

X: *nasal grunts* Fine by me.

X and Wyatt leave, the warp gate closes behind them. Zaire poses the bodies.

Iota: Ready to go?

Zaire: Yessir.

Zaire opens a warp gate and fires two bullets into it using the hand of “Hackmaster’s” dead body to pull the trigger. The shots are heard by Pause and Zero on the roof.

Pause: Let’s go!

Zero: Right!

Lionel and Gunslinger also hear the shots.

Gunslinger: What was that?

Lionel: Damnit, what’s going on in there!

Lionel runs into the building.

Gunslinger: Hey, wait up!

Zaire leaves the gun in the fake dead body’s hand.

Zaire: All set.

Iota: Good, now we’ll take care of the last thing.

Zaire opens a final warp gate; Iota and Zaire walk through it, and it closes behind them. The door slams open as Pause and Zero run in.

Zero: What happened here?

Pause: It looks like they’re dead.

Lionel and Gunslinger show up.

Gunslinger: Goddamn!

Lionel: What’s going on?

Zero: It looks like a murder-suicide to me…

Pause: Yeah… it does…

Pause examines the bodies.

Pause: There’s something off here.

Zero: Maybe they got into a fight?

Lionel: That’s the only explanation.

Gunslinger: The explosive guy must have wanted to blow himself up, so the hacker killed him, then realized that he was screwed, so he took himself out.

Zero: That doesn’t make sense, though. He was a villain… If he was going to die, why not take out as many people as possible?

Lionel: It takes a lot of strength to willingly allow yourself to be vaporized.

Gunslinger: Okay, but why not kill himself and then let the bomb go off?

Lionel: That I do not know…

Pause examines the gun.

Pause: It’s a weird scenario, but one thing’s for sure: they’re both dead.

Lionel: Do you think someone else could have done this?

Pause: Potentially, but we got here pretty quickly after hearing the shots, and the building is surrounded from all sides, plus Zero and I were on the roof. There is almost no way someone could have gotten out of this room without the aid of a quirk.

Gunslinger: Like invisibility or teleportation?

Pause: Something like that, the police will have to canvas this scene very thoroughly. I don’t trust that this is as obvious as it seems.

Pause ties his blindfold on and starts walking towards the door.

Pause: The important thing is that the S-tier villain is gone, the details can be mudded out, but I’ll call this a win for now. Zero, come on, the police can handle this now.

Zero: Right.

Zero follows behind Pause.

Pause: Glad to see you’re doing well in your “retirement,” Lionel.

Lionel: And I’m glad to see that you two are doing well. Thank you for coming even though the situation handled itself.

Pause: It’s fine, situations like these are what we’re here for, have a good day.

Zero: See you guys!

Pause, and Zero leave.

Gunslinger: Mind explaining?

Lionel: I was once a S.T.O.R.M. agent, but now that I’m out of my prime, I enjoy life as a pro hero.

Gunslinger: Guess that explains why you know so much about them.

Lionel: Yes indeed.

Gunslinger looks around the room.

Gunslinger: That guy with the blindfold… he’s really powerful, isn’t he?

Lionel: Pause is not one to be reckoned with, he knows his power, and he’s not afraid of anything. If he gets sent to deal with a situation, the villain might as well just turn themselves in.

Gunslinger: Damn… glad he’s on our side.

Lionel notices the smashed laptop.

Lionel: Hmm.

Gunslinger: What is it?

Lionel: Oh nothing… let’s let the police deal with this; I need to find my intern.

Gunslinger: Yeah, me too.

A warp gate opens in a desert with no civilization in sight, and Hackmaster falls down into the dunes. The warp gate closes. He shakes himself off and looks around.

Hackmaster: That bastard! X betrayed me after I did so much work keeping him off the grid and freeing him from his ice prison! Now, where am I!

Another warp gate opens.

Hackmaster: What the?

Iota and Zaire walk out of the warp gate as it closes behind them.

Hackmaster: What, are you here to finish the job? Dumping me in the middle of the desert without any of my equipment wasn’t enough?

Iota: You know information about the rings, and you’ve seen my face, for those reasons you must die.

Hackmaster: I’m gonna have to disagree with you on that one.

Iota: Zaire, stay back. I’ll handle him.

Zaire: Yes, Master.

Hackmaster: One on one eh? Just because I don’t have any tech on me doesn’t mean I’ll be an easy win!

Hackmaster transforms all of his fingers into extra-long cables.

Hackmaster: I’m gonna choke you until your eyes pop out of their sockets, then I’ll take that ring for myself!

Iota: Tell me, why do you want the rings?

Hackmaster: Well, since you’re about to die anyway: I found out about the rings when I was hacking S.T.O.R.M.’s archives a while back, the information was limited, but I could tell they’re powerful considering the level of security surrounding them. That’s when I broke X out of prison. I was planning to have him assist me in finding them.

Iota: How so?

Hackmaster: It never hurts to have a nuke at your disposal when you’re seeking world domination. But considering you just added him to your arsenal, I’m sure you already knew that.

Iota: Oh, I’m not seeking world domination.

Hackmaster: Then what are you seeking?

Iota: Fear.

The Iota ring starts glowing as Iota points his palm toward Hackmaster.

Iota: Do you know why I sent you to a desert of all places?

The sand starts shifting below Hackmaster.

Hackmaster: What the hell!

The sand opens up beneath Hackmaster. He falls as the sand shifts around him, completely burying him except his face. Iota approaches him.

Hackmaster: I- What the hell is this!

Iota: World domination… What a silly goal. You don’t understand the power of the rings. But… just knowing about them is enough to make you… disposable.

Iota picks up some sand in his hand.

Hackmaster: Wait, I’ll join you, just like X! I can be an asset to you!

Iota starts laughing.

Hackmaster: W- w- what’s so funny?

Iota: I don’t want you.

Iota pours the sand on Hackmaster’s face.

Hackmaster: Wait, please no! I won’t tell anyone about you! I swear!

Iota grabs another patch of sand.

Iota: My poor boy, you’re a loose end, and you know what happens to loose ends?

Hackmaster: W- w- what?

Iota: They get tied.

Iota buries Hackmaster’s face in the sand. Then, iota stands up and wipes his hands on his pants.

Iota: Alright, Zaire, let’s head back home; I need to welcome our newest recruit (and my newest weapon.)

Zaire opens a warp gate.

Zaire: Now that this matter is taken care of, I have to tell you something.

Iota: *sighs* What is it, Zaire? I appreciate that you waited until after I was finished, but it better be important.

Zaire: It’s about Ivy.

Iota gets a stern look on his face.

Iota: Tell me back at base.