Present Day

  “Okay, but hypothetically…” Sami leaned forward in the truck bed. “If you were from somewhere else, where do you think it would be?”

  “Apologies, Sa Mi, but I sincerely do not understand the question.” Gan Wen bowed his head in humility, his clean top knot remaining impeccable as always.

  Claire turned in the passenger seat, speaking through the window to the truck bed. “Do you understand that you speak differently than we do?”

  “Apologies, Senior Sister, but this one does not.”

  “You think we talk the same? Same dialect and everything?” Claire prodded.

  “We understand one another, do we not?” Gan Wen started, lowering his head toward Claire. “Apologies, Senior Sister, this one did not mean to appear glib. This one was being sincere.”

  “He’s sincere,” Naomi said flatly.

  Sami started slightly, almost forgetting that Naomi was driving. She normally remained quiet, and Sami took it as a means for her to conserve calories. He wondered if she should even drive if she was constantly losing weight. Scanning her, he saw her Power Sense bubbles — a constant, shining black and the other dim blue. One of the two allowed her to scan people for sincerity, which must have been why she sounded so certain.

  Squinting skeptically, Claire shook her head and looked back to the road with an annoyed sigh.

  Glancing across the truck bed, Sami examined Gan Wen, his tight black top knot remaining together despite the wind of the drive. He seemed totally genuine in his strange antics, and Sami believed his power altered him in the same way Gutshot was: altering his very perception of reality so that he thought he was speaking normally. But Gutshot had red and green Power Sense where Gan Wen only had gold. Sami almost wanted to reach out and poke it to get to the bottom of his abilities. His “1A” Rank, crudely stitched onto his chest robes, looked like a child had scrawled the numbers and letters. Or someone who had a hard time with the English language.

  A bump on the road brought Sami’s attention forward, where he widened his eyes to witness Apex single handedly holding up a building that was threatening to fall over, his arms engulfed in shining golden bracers. Leaning forward in his seat, Sami had half a mind to jump out of the truck and help. Apex turned toward him and grinned, everything totally under control. Before the building was out of sight, Apex gleamed brightly and shifted the building back to an upright position, running inside to help evacuation efforts.

  Smoke rose in another direction, mocking Sami with how close it was. The oscillation of the plume was like a chortle from the flames, challenging him to do something other than sit in place. Closing his eyes in frustration, he turned to the open window.

  “Can we go help with some of the other rescue efforts? We don’t need all three of us on this deployment, do we?”

  “You’re staying here,” Naomi said curtly, taking a sip on a thick milkshake.

  Short words. Almost mean. Sami didn’t want to push his luck with her, especially when her Anomaly could strain her. Frowning, he leaned back against the truck.

  “I share your frustration, Sa Mi.” Gan Wen looked out at the city, remaining perfectly still despite the truck’s best jostles. “This does not suit our Paths. One day, the sect asks for us to be of use to the people of the village, when the next they ask us to attend fancy meals, as though they are equally important tasks. These conditions… Excuse me, I would not question our Sect Elders.”

  “Yeah…” Sami said, relating despite his confusion.

  He was pretty sure “the sect” was HUE and the “Paths” were powers, but remained confused as to why Gan Wen always referred to Hammerton as “the village.” Regardless, it was nice to hear someone share his frustrations.

  “I just feel like we can be doing so much more,” Sami sighed.

  “It’s not like you don’t have stuff happen whenever you’re outside, anyway,” Claire mentioned.

  “Sure, but self defense is different than coming to help people that need it. The number of people who are Awakening increases by the day. We know they don’t all have good intentions.”

  “I previously believed that there was something unique to those of us on the Path, but now anyone can find their own. Myself included. I was nothing before this year, but now I can see myself reaching even the fourth realm!”

  “Good…. Good job, dude,” Sami said, giving him a confused but supportive thumbs up with his Shadow Hand.

  Gan Wen tilted his head slightly at the hand symbol, then clasped two hands in front of him in thanks.

  Sami tilted his head slightly at the hand symbol. “Where do you think the powers come from?”

  “The Anomalies,” Naomi corrected.

  “They come from the heavens,” Gan Wen replied casually, as though there was no other answer.

  Sami tracked another Awakened user, this time with black goggles on his face, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with determination. Sami envied him, watching him hop his way to the plume of smoke cutting the blue sky. Leaning back, Sami stared up in dejection, wondering if this was the problem Lightcrown had with HUE. Too much red tape.

  “Look alive, we’re here.” Claire slapped the top of the truck.

  Sami swung a leg over the side, boosting himself down with a stretch of his Shadow Hand. Reaching an arm up, he attempted to assist Gan Wen, who instead walked down the side on a set of golden steps that appeared just before his foot touched them. Very cool. But also confusing.

  “You say your Path is the Radiant Sun, but what does that actually entail? What can you do?” Sami asked.

  “Any manner of the abilities of the Path. Given that I have reached the correct realm,” Gan Wen replied, tilting his head like Sami asked him why it was bright whenever the sun was out.

  “Listen,” Naomi said, rolling down the window only a crack as Claire stepped out. “Gan Wen, can you be normal for the duration of the Gala?”

  “This one does not understand the—”

  “All right, that’s a wash. Sami, can I trust you not to antagonize anyone and try to involve yourself in a situation if someone tries to antagonize you?” Naomi asked.

  “How antagonistic are we talking?”

  Naomi closed her eyes and exhaled.

  “Claire, you’re in charge. You two listen to her, regardless of the order. I’ll pick you up soon. Make sure to network. Talk to people, but don’t anger anyone. Be agreeable and make HUE look good.”

  “Should we really be out here on our own?” Claire asked. “We’re pretty fresh. Don’t we have more veteran members for things like meeting with the mayor?”

  “The mayor?” Sami asked.

  “The village elder?” Gan Wen asked simultaneously.

  “No one available,” Naomi answered.

  “What about you?” Claire flicked her head up.

  Naomi rolled up the window and drove away, Claire sputtering as she watched her leave.

  Turning sternly to her two partners, Claire glared them both down. “Don’t do anything stupid. Please.”

  “This one will do…”

  “Gan Wen, I’m seriously considering asking you not to even speak. Just… I don’t know.” Claire threw hands up and led the way inside.

  Sami stopped to crane his neck and admire the Roman-inspired building. Its white marble facade shimmered in the sunlight, and intricate carvings and mosaics told stories of nonexistent legends like a snake breathing the sky into life. Giant floodlights lined the outskirts, but they remained off in the middle of the day. Like Sami, more useless things at the fancy meal.

  Claire snapped a finger loudly from a few steps ahead. “Hey! Hurry up, don’t get separated!”

  Tearing his eyes from the scene, Sami reluctantly followed inside. There were a hundred people mingling at the entrance, enjoying one another’s companies while eating appetizers offered on platters. Gazing around, he tugged lightly at his clothes, feeling significantly underdressed between dresses, suits, and traditional clothing. Even Gan Wen and his flowing robes fit the scene naturally.

  Inside, the grand hall was a fantastic symbol of hubris, with all the meticulous works of architectural design like soaring ceilings, elegant columns, and a running fountain at the entrance of the room while parts of the city like Indus crumbled a few miles away. Suddenly, Sami felt a lot less underdressed. Now he felt more embarrassed being at the event at all, expecting a free meal when others were hungry so close by.

  “Okay, listen up,” Claire murmured next to the fountain. “We’re here to make a good impression on candidates for mayor. We don’t need to participate in the fundraising. If the incoming mayors see us favorably, we might be able to take more action as an organization instead of waiting until we’re called to do things by police or fire departments. Talk to people, but be plain. Don’t bring up anything controversial. And show off your powers, if only a little. Make it seem cool, but not too special.”

  “I understand, Senior Sister.”

  Claire shot him a look. “Instead of ‘Senior Sister,’ use ‘ma’am.’ That goes for ‘Senior Brother’ too. In this building you use ‘sir.’ Same goes with Elder. That’s an order. Here, it’s only those two terms.”

  “Ma’am… and sir?” Gan Wen sounded nervous.

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  “Exactly. And listen to Sami. Sami, you on board with the plan?”

  “Yeah, I got it. Just be boring so HUE doesn’t attract negative attention.” Sami nodded, looking around the interior.

  “Not what I said… Actually, that works. I don’t know what you’d do if you were too excited.”

  Sami shrugged, taking a few steps to an empty table but Claire raised a hand in front of his face to stop him.

  “Wait up, we’re at a reserved table.”

  “How much did HUE pay to be here?” Sami asked, disappointed.

  “They didn’t. We were personally invited by Miss Timaria Burr. Which I know is controversial in itself, but we’re here so…”

  “Why is that controversial?” Sami asked as Claire scanned a cardboard display for their table’s location.

  “Because she’s one of the mayoral candidates after Mayor Sugar’s out of office. It can be seen as an endorsement. Oh, make sure not to endorse anyone, got it?”

  “Yes, Senior…” Gan Wen stopped and swallowed like he was nauseous. “Ma’am.”

  “Good.” Claire nodded appreciatively at Gan Wen’s efforts. “Table’s this way, let’s go.”

  The trio made their way between tables until they reached the ones marked with “reserved” placards at the head of the room. Rolling water hummed over the ambience of the room, the running fountain a pleasant background. Sami slid right into his seat and looked at the others at the table, noticing Claire shot him a look. Confused, Sami shook his head at her slightly and she tilted it to one of the sitting members.

  He sat with a shining white smile and perfect teeth, his hair short and gelled immaculately to the back and brown eyes beaming with interest. His black suit was adorned with only two bits of red—a tie and a pocket square—both gleaming subtly, as if coated in tiny diamonds.

  “Mayor Sugar. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Claire, from the Hero Unification Entity. Here with Gan Wen and Sami,” Claire introduced them all, her green dress elegantly displaying the three of them.

  “Greetings, sir. It is an honor to meet the sir of the village,” Gan Wen gave a slight dip of his head.

  Sami sat straighter, feeling like he’d already blundered by ignoring him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Mayor.”

  “The pleasure is all mine.” Bernard Sugar stood to greet the three, leaving Sami alone to remain seated.

  His cheeks warmed when Claire gave him another quick shot with her eyes.

  “You’re Sami, right?” Mayor Sugar took his seat, joined by Claire and Gan Wen. “Truly, an honor to meet you.”

  Leaning slightly, he reached out an arm to shake hands. Hoping he wasn’t about to make another blunder, Sami summoned his Shadow Hand to shake back. With the lightest possible pressure, even lighter than he treated eggs.

  “Ha! There it is!” The Mayor shook it vigorously. “Firm grip, too! What is this called again, the Phantom Hand?”

  “The Grasping Shadow,” Gan Wen corrected politely.

  “Shadow Hand,” Sami double corrected.

  “Shadow Hand…” Mayor Sugar repeated, nodding to himself. “Could never manifest one of these powers myself. I thought it was something in the air, but I couldn’t breathe it right to Awaken. There’s a joke in there about politicians and airheads.” Sugar tapped the table in thought.

  “Too air headed to get any air power?” Sami asked, defending Claire’s urgent look with a quick stare of his own.

  “That’s a good one!” the mayor laughed good-naturedly.

  Sami was warming up to him, but simultaneously felt like he was being played. A politician was never so straightforward with their character. Sami pulled his Shadow Hand back and picked up a spoon with it, practicing scooping in midair and wondering if he could eat food without looking like a toddler.

  “What brought you to support a cause like this, I’m curious?” Mayor Sugar asked casually.

  Sami blinked, realizing he had no idea what the fundraiser was for. Swiftly, he glanced at Claire only to see her a table over greeting another guest. Sami swallowed.

  The Mayor suddenly glanced past him, eyebrows high and smile wide. “Excuse me, Sami, I’ll be right back.”

  Sami watched him leave as someone from a neighboring table waved the mayor over. Then he practically jumped onto the table as he leaned to Gan Wen.

  “What’s this fundraiser about? Why are we here?” Sami asked.

  “The village contends with the mandate of the heavens and wishes to build a reliable stockpile for the increasing losses caused by its blessings,” Gan Wen explained.

  Sami stared intensely, working his jaw as he tried to parse the words. Nonexistent winds blew gracefully over Gan Wen’s robes as he waited patiently if Sami needed clarification. Sami needed a lot. It was like Gan Wen put all his words through a blender, then a thesaurus.

  A therender? No. A blesaurus.

  “Okay… Explain that again, but this time like I’m a five-year-old,” Sami suggested, feeling desperate as another stranger came closer to their table with Claire.

  “Certainly!” Gan Wen put some thought in before continuing. “Greetings, young one. You are full of the spark of life and will do well if you listen to your parents and elders…”

  “Skip the preamble.” Sami spun his Shadow Hand urgently.

  “Do not interrupt your elders!” Gan Wen chastised sharply, then recomposed himself. “Where was I? Oh, yes, we are joining in meal so that we may accrue funds for what has come as a result of the mandate of the heavens. Buildings collapse and there is a need for funds to replenish those buildings and other structures of the village. This would establish a system to acquire and increase those funds.”

  “So, like a trust for repairing the city infrastructure because of Awakened people?”

  “You learn quickly, young one.” Gan Wen smiled.

  “Thanks… Uh, and stop talking to me like I’m a five-year-old,” Sami requested.

  “Of course, brother Sa Mi. That was an interesting exercise.”

  “Sami, Gan Wen,” Claire caught their attention, presenting a new guest. “This is Timaria Burr. She invited us out today.”

  Sami smiled in greeting, scanning her strange attire.

  Everything about Timaria looked manufactured. She wore a tailored charcoal gray dress with a subtle textured weave that hinted at industrial fabric used on a yard. The high neckline had a small metal hammer pinned into it, like she was virtue signaling some sort of working vibe. Atop the dress she wore a jacket that looked like it could be used for outdoor work as much as the formal setting, like a cross between a blazer and a denim work jacket. A small metal tree was pinned to the collar. Black boots stuck out of the dress, looking like they belonged to an electrician and her hair was tied into a bun that looked like it envied Gan Wen’s elegance.

  Timaria smiled, only a thin line, as Gan Wen and Sami stood quickly to greet her.

  “Greetings Ma’am, it is an honor,” Gan Wen said, sounding like he was getting the hang of the new term.

  “Hey, nice to meet you.” Sami smiled.

  “It is such a fantastic honor to have HUE dine with me today,” Timaria replied, looking between the three. “The Awakened have never ceased to captivate my imagination. And to have you nearby will be great for motivating people to donate to the We Will Rebuild campaign I organized.”

  “You organized all this?” Sami raised his eyebrows and pointed at the stage with his Shadow Hand.

  “I did,” Timaria said without masking her pride. “This city is in the crosshairs of several disasters, and we need to make sure that we guarantee the people that we will protect their homes and lives.” At the last three words she pointed to herself and Sami, respectively.

  “Are these the members of HUE?” A broad man with a bald head approached the table, looking upon the three younger ones seated.

  Built like a football player, the guest wore a smart white suit with a black tie pinned with a dove flying away with an olive branch. His eyes dragged over each of the trio for equal amounts of time, sizing them up quickly. Sami raised an eyebrow when he recognized the pin. Was it supposed to imply him bringing peace or wanting more peace? More strange performative clothing.

  “Crede,” Timaria acknowledged him, the short syllable a dismissal.

  “Burr,” Crede replied, his tone unreadable. “I was just coming by to say hello to the good people who protect this town when it conveniences them.”

  “Conveniences them?” Sami repeated, offended.

  “Crede.” Timaria had a fire in her eyes.

  “I’m just saying HUE tends to wait around when there’s a lot to be done. People to be saved,” Crede suggested.

  “We have a hard time operating within the current limitations of the law without coming off as vigilantes,” Claire said formally, speaking before Sami could.

  “I think we can leave it at that. The law is a crucial thing to maintain in the times of Awakening,” Timaria said, eyes never leaving Crede.

  “I can respect that. The law needs to be upheld. I just seem to find the Equality Unification Entity responding to a lot more incidents.” Crede nodded to another table.

  Blinking, Sami whipped his head to the table and saw two athletic guys and a girl, all wearing matching clothes for a black tie occasion. As well as black goggles on their face. Scanning them, Sami confirmed they were all Awakened. He couldn’t help but wonder why EUE and the Underground both wore black goggles. Didn’t EUE know about the negative reputation? Or was there some overlap between them?

  Turning back to his table, Sami’s eyes widened at the sight of Crede’s three pulsing red powers emanating above him. Timaria also had three powers, two red, one blue. Crazy Awakenings. Did anyone know about that? Glancing between them, Sami suddenly felt like they were both trying to intimidate him in their own way. He sat up straighter, refusing to back down to whatever the game was.

  “So, you’re suggesting we break the law?” Sami asked Crede casually.

  “Of course not,” Crede dismissed without missing a beat. “But when I’m made mayor, the laws limiting you won’t be such an issue to contend with.”

  With that, he strolled back to the table with EUE members. Of course he invited them. And then came to taunt HUE. Trying to play the organizations against each other? Why would he want the heroes fighting?

  No, it was much simpler and stupider. Crede and Burr weren’t trying to intimidate him, but one-up another with their guests of honor.

  “Don Crede.” Timaria spoke, introducing the distant man as she took a seat. “Running for mayor if you haven't heard. Has a hand in building the shelters going up in Indus.”

  That made Sami even more certain. A political game while they both ran for mayor.

  “If I may ask, how can two people claim the position of village elder? Is a clan not already in place for the position’s replacement?” Gan Wen asked.

  Timaria stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

  “Maybe sit this one out, buddy.” Sami patted him lightly on the shoulder.

  Gan Wen frowned marginally, but nodded and leaned back in his seat.

  “So, the We Will Rebuild campaign…” Claire said, drawing attention back to her. “Is it going to make the buildings stronger when rebuilding? Maybe beef up existing infrastructure? We have a guy in HUE that might be able to help with some clay.”

  “We’re well aware of Steve. He already helps maintain a lot of structures across the city, free of charge. The intent of this campaign is to make sure we can always rebuild anything lost, whether Awakened assist or not.”

  “But how would you prevent it from happening again in the future?” Sami asked.

  “Fortunately, ours isn’t the only campaign. Perhaps people from Crede Construction will take on a role in increasing the strength of existing structures, as they have a philanthropic arm as well,” she said, glancing over the Crede.

  Sami heard it as a political non-answer.

  A chime went off on Timaria’s watch. “Excuse me, I need to go introduce our keynote speaker and get this event started.”

  Sami glanced at the rest of the crowd as she left, scanning them all with Power Sense. A surprising number of people were Awakened, more than average. Which either meant the number of average Awakened people was increasing rapidly or the fundraiser had deliberately invited a lot of Awakened people. He suspected the latter.

  “Esteemed guests,” Timaria’s voice came out of speakers on the ceiling as she approached the center of the stage. “I am Timaria Burr. I am honored to have you here with me for such a wonderful cause. The We Will Rebuild Campaign will do wonders for the people of Hammerton and be a means for all of us to give back to our own incredible community. That said, I want to start us off by hearing a few words by The First Woken himself!”

  The crowd roared its approval, a wave of sound washing over Sami at the name’s announcement. Sami’s eyes lit up delightedly, while Claire looked like she was doing everything in her power to prevent herself from rolling her eyes.

  “The First Woken?” Gan Wen asked, leaning toward Sami while applauding politely.

  “He’s the first guy to Awaken after Lightcrown. Pretty much the first guy with any powers since the Silent Scream. I’ve never seen him in person, so this is pretty cool.”

  “The first to be blessed with a Path from the heavens? This one is already honored to share a room with him.”

  “You already know it isn’t ‘pretty cool,’” Claire chimed in. “I don’t get why we still care about him.”

  “He’s The First Woken!” Sami said, raising his Shadow Hand in a fist.

  “Please welcome Oliver Ollyson,” Timaria said over the excitement of the crowd, applauding to the side of the stage.

  On rushed a man with arms wide and a small red Power Sense bubble over his head.