Story so far!

  Flare’s been hiding from society for long enough, and our adorable little fire wielder was finally exposed as what some would refer to as a Surge Beacon! So, a secret organization known for developing Surge users called Aegis sent one of their best agents to capture her: Focus. Elsewhere, a masked foe has tasked an elite group of Surge-powered bounty hunters to capture Flare for him, a group known as the Sparks, and all of a sudden, Flare has garnered the wrong sort of attention from the wrong people. However, Focus’s mission has gone awry, and the Sparks beat him to the punch, the entire scuffle leaving a massive scene. Their advantage didn’t last long, though, and the duo teamed up to escape their clutches, thus officially partnering up to uncover the conspiracy unfolding before them.

  After successfully capturing the handler of the Sparks, the duo acquired a lead that takes them to an excavation site, all while Aegis have sent another group of Surge users to retrieve Focus and carry on his initial assignment, thus following him to that excavation site as well, where the Sparks are waiting to get the job done. What happened next was a full-on brawl! Flare and Focus vs Boltix, Proxy vs Jackpot, Pulse vs Mistrick, Jax vs Stone, and Infinity scheming behind the scenes! Even better: Surge energy shockwaves, tremors and ripples, Red Flare vs a berserk Stone, and a massive collapse! Somehow, Flare and Focus made it out of this mess in one piece, albeit without the latter reconciling with the other Aegis operators, and so did Jax, Proxy, and Pulse. The Sparks were left to watch as Infinity leaves with Stone, one of their own, and the impact leaves them unconscious, during which the Aegis operators capture them, possibly for interrogation. It was a mess overall, but Flare and Focus were now ready to pursue their next lead in Alaska!

  The mess that happened, which drew attention to the secret of Surges, placed Aegis on thin ice, and the Ironclad Response Unit was set to take it from here, tasking their finest asset with hunting Flare and Focus, who have begun their week-long, cross-country road trip. It was a great, touching sort of break that did wonders to their partnership, and even better, perhaps love is indeed in the air. However, when Gauntlet was onto them, he and his team still failed to capture the duo, who fought back like they always do and managed to continue on their way to Alaska. With Gauntlet failing, a partnership between Aegis and the Ironclad Response Unit was imperative in order to deal with the situation in hand, and that’s indeed what happened. The two organizations have sent their soldiers to Alaska as well, and they also accepted all the help they could get and sent a squad consisting of Jax, Proxy, Pulse, Boltix, Jackpot, Mistrick, Gauntlet, and the mysterious agent known as Hunter. And so, the two organizations have confirmed their involvement in the grand scheme of things. For Flare and Focus, Aegis, the Ironclad Response Unit, the Sparks, Infinity, and just about every major player… all roads lead to Alaska.

  [Five days later…]

  (The sun starts to set in an empty, quiet forest. Three adult men are apparently setting a campfire together — anticipating the cold night that’s set to befall on them a few hours later — and having their packed dinner. They appear to be rather satisfied, laughing together as they keep chatting, but one of them is forcing a smile, doing his best to hide his discomfort.)

  Man 1A: You ever notice how fast time’s moving? Like, I blinked and it’s already October.

  Man 1B: (chuckling) Yeah… it’s insane. Feels like last week I was complaining about summer heat, and now I’m scraping ice off my windshield. But it sure feels refreshing to sit back and let it all work out. That’s why I wanted to come here, just to… you know… put all those worries aside.

  Man 1C: (awkwardly forcing a laugh) Yeah, I hear ya.

  Man 1A: (worriedly, glancing at the man) Are you… okay?

  Man 1C: (chuckling nervously) It’s nothing, really. I just… (hurriedly leaving) gotta go.

  (The man hurriedly heads out of the campfire and into the forest, to which the other two men react in bafflement and then worry. The man panickedly runs while panting in exhaustion, his steps unequal and imbalanced, as if feeling dizzy. He then falls on his knees, clutching his head as his body develops faint green sparks.)

  Man 1C: (panting heavily) What’s… happening?!

  (His heartbeat gets louder than ever, and his pupils start narrowing until they’re no longer apparent. His companions catch up to him, worriedly watching, and suddenly, he loses it. With a massive yell, his entire body gets submerged in some sort of dark green slime, leaving no trace of who he used to be. He turns into a complete mass of viscous slime, forming several slimy tentacles. In this new form, he grows larger and larger until he towers over his two companions, who glance up at him in sheer shock and horror.)

  Man 1A: (horrified) Josh?!

  (The slime monster unleashes a rapid tentacle attack at the two men, but before it strikes them, someone arrives to their rescue and swiftly drags them out of the way. It’s a sixteen-year old boy with short black hair and sharp blue eyes wearing a black tracksuit with white stripes on its sides; it’s none other than Focus. With that dealt with, his partner steps in, a sixteen-year old girl wearing an orange, sleeveless vest under her black, sleeveless shirt with orange shorts and orange-red hair tied into a messy top knot; it’s Flare, who uses the flames underneath her legs to propel herself at the slime monster with an excited grin.)

  Flare! The Fire Surge! She can control and generate flames for defense, propulsion, or even as mere “fire”-power! See what I did there? She’s not as regular as she seems, though! She’s the first sighting of a Surge Beacon in a long while, meaning that she’s got a target on her back the size of Jersey and absurdly massive reserves of strength deep within!

  (The slime monster swings at Flare with a tentacle, and she propels herself out of the way using her flames, regaining her balance just in time to launch several fire spears at the monster, dealing noticeable damage on the outside but failing to put it down. It easily morphs back into shape and rapidly strikes Flare with one of its tentacles, sending her flying. Before another tentacle strikes her, Focus intervenes and slices off the tentacle with a kick, proceeding to cancel out the other tentacles launched at the two of them midair at high speed before landing on a branch beside Flare.)

  Focus! The Superhuman Surge! He may not look like the flashiest tool in the shed, but he’s surely the sharpest there is! His latent energy grants him super heightened reflexes, as well as incredible speed and strength, making him the perfect fighting machine! There’s lots of potential in this kid beyond just that, something that could cement him as the most powerful Surge user alive! Oh, and he’s also got a massive, poorly concealed crush on — !

  Focus: (blushing uncontrollably) SHUT UP!

  Flare: (annoyed) Now what did I say?!

  Focus: (his blush growing even more) NOT YOU!!!

  (The slime monster swings some more tentacles at them, and they switch from branch to branch as they circle around it. The other two men watch in shock as Flare and Focus take on the slime monster that used to be their friend, and Mr. Shay Gallagher shows up to drag them out of harm’s way. He’s an old man in his mid-50s wearing an old-fashioned red shirt with a denim jacket; he’s also got a thick beard and disheveled, shoulder-length grey hair.)

  Shay: Stay outta the way, will ya, lads? I reckon ye don’t wanna be gettin’ caught up in this, ah?

  (Flare and Focus continue switching between branches to avoid the slime monster’s attacks, the former jumping off a branch and launching several fire spears at the monster, disorienting it, while Focus jumps at it and kicks it in the head, slightly knocking it off balance. The pair land at the same branch and glance at the slime monster ahead of them, Focus barely getting a look at the person underneath all the slime, being held unconscious at the monster’s gut.)

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  Flare: This thing keeps morphing back into shape! It’s annoying!

  Focus: (placing a hand on his chin) It will only keep regenerating as long as it’s still got a body. Make sure you keep throwing flames at his gut area. I don’t know if that’s gonna work, but we can sure give it a shot.

  (Flare nods with an excited smirk and jumps at the slime monster, while Focus jumps from branch to branch, redirecting himself to stand right in front of the slime monster. The monster notices Flare jumping at it and launches its tentacles at her, and she repeatedly propels herself out of the way, acrobatically adjusting her position. This gives her the opportunity to strike at his gut, and she launches a massive wave of flames that tests the monster’s durability, lessening the strength of the viscous slime covering its gut area and making it susceptible to attack.)

  Focus: There!

  (Focus makes perfect use of that and immediately lunges at the slime monster, landing a powerful kick in its gut, a kick so powerful that it frees the unconscious man from the slime’s grasp. Flare pierce through the slime monster along with the unconscious man, causing the viscous slime to dissipate and for the monster to be taken down. The man falls on the ground, while Focus lands on his feet, Flare landing beside him as the two glance at him, still unconscious from what happened.)

  Flare: (baffled) Now what’s that supposed to be?

  Focus: (grimacing) A Surge Beacon.

  Flare: (groaning in annoyance) Really?! Another one?! Why are there so many all of a sudden?! We had to deal with a few of them on the way over.

  Focus: (wrapping the unconscious man’s arm around him and dragging him along) That’s… concerning, admittedly, and something we might have to look into. Let’s just bring him back to his pals for now.

  (Flare sighs deeply and nods then heads over to the unconscious man, wrapping his other arm around her and helping Focus carry him to his friends. After a while, the duo head back to Shay, who was providing company to the other two men, and the latter two carry their unconscious friend with baffled frowns.)

  Man 1A: (frowning) Now what was that all about?

  Focus: (firmly) He should be fine now. Take care of him. You got somewhere you can head back to?

  Man 1B: Yeah, we can handle it ourselves. Thanks for the help.

  Focus: (sighing deeply) Don’t overthink it.

  (The two men reluctantly nod and head out on their own with their unconscious friend, and upon seeing that, Flare, Focus, and Shay turn the other way and head off. After venturing into the forest a bit, they find their way back to their truck, parked in the middle of the highway, and get inside. Focus takes the passenger seat beside Shay, as per usual, and Flare gets into the backseat, then Shay promptly drives off. After a while, he turns on the radio.)

  News Reporter: (via radio) In other news, officials have confirmed that they have incapacitated the individual who, according to both official reports and witness accounts, has been single-handedly responsible for the recent hurricane in North Carolina, apparently causing the storm himself all of a sudden. The identity of the individual remains unknown, and the circumstances of the event remain unclear, but many speculate that it’s somehow related to the recent inexplicable incidents that have been previously reported. Further developments are to be expected. Meanwhile — .

  Shay: (closing the radio, subtly concerned) Another one o’ those Surge Beacons, eh?

  Focus: Yes. Their recent abundance is equal parts befuddling and unnerving. They were never this widespread seven years ago. (placing a hand on his chin) And this started to occur only after the mess back at that excavation site.

  Flare: So maybe it’s that guy we’re after. Perhaps it’s his doing.

  Focus: I guess so, but that leaves us with a lot more questions. Why are Surge Beacons surfacing so frequently all of a sudden? Was it our enemy’s original plan, a part of the plan, or simply a byproduct?

  Shay: (surprisingly pragmatic) Sure, I don’t know how he managed that, but whatever it was, it surely sent the Surge Energy in the Earth’s core a bit haywire, causin’ a right imbalance of energy across the whole planet. Since the Earth can’t be holdin’ a tight leash on this energy anymore, yer foe might take the chance to fully control Surge Energy. After all, the more space and freedom ye give yer pooch to run ’round, the harder it’ll be to keep it close.

  Focus: (surprised by Shay’s deduction) And that imbalance thus allowed random spikes in an individual’s latent Surge Energy, expanding the spread and frequency of Surge Beacons. I’m surprised you reached that conclusion.

  Shay: (nonchalantly) Ah, ’tis no grand fuss. Ye did explain the basics of that whole shebang, after all.

  Focus: Still, this is mere speculation, and there’s only one way to figure it all out for sure.

  Flare: (excitedly grinning, lighting up her palms with fire) And that’s to crash into this guy’s place and beat it out of him!

  Focus and Shay: (in unison, turning to Flare in exasperation) NO FIRE POWERS IN THE CAR!!!

  Flare: (instantly putting out the flames on her palms, chuckling nervously) Sorry! So… uh… speaking of which… are we there yet?

  Shay: (glancing at the GPS on his phone) I reckon so.

  (Flare and Focus glance ahead and see a giant glacier on the horizon, definitely a sign that they’ve made it to Alaska, to Flare’s excitement. Upon closing in on the icy region ahead, Shay parks the truck for the meantime and steps out of it with the duo, Flare munching on a chocolate bar while stepping outside. Shay also pulls out two bags containing winter clothes and hands them over to Flare and Focus.)

  Shay: We’ll have t’continue on foot, won’t we? Sorry ’bout that. Just make sure ye stay warm.

  Flare: (raising an eyebrow, glancing at the winter clothes in the bag) Is it really necessary? I mean… I do have fire powers. Can’t I just… warm my body myself or something?

  Focus: (unamused) I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.

  (After they all get dressed up, the trio head into the icy region of Alaska, walking on the snow and glancing around in awe. After an hour or so, the sun completes its descent, and night falls on the trio, who are still struggling to find their way amidst the cold night. Focus looks around at his surroundings, sensing the winds getting swifter and colder, while Flare groans in impatience and annoyance.)

  Flare: (annoyed) What’re we looking for anyway?! We’ve been walking FOREVER!

  Shay: (sighing deeply) There’s gotta be a spot where we can crash for the night.

  Focus: (glancing around, grimly) Yeah, I don’t think we can handle staying outside for the night, not when there’s a good chance that a storm will fall upon us. However, I haven’t noticed anything up until now.

  Flare: (exasperated) ‘Haven’t noticed’?! Sounds ironic coming from someone all about focus!

  Focus: (glancing at her attentively) Yes?

  Flare: I meant the verb!

  Focus: (narrowing his eyes) You didn’t use it as a verb.

  Flare: (frustrated) Just… SHUT IT!!!

  Focus: (muttering under his breath) You’re the one making a big deal out of this.

  (Shay listens in on the duo’s conversation and immediately pulls Focus near him and walks more hurriedly, purposefully trying to gain some distance from Flare. She’s baffled by that sudden intervention, and Shay chuckles nervously at her with a wave before beginning to talk to Focus.)

  Shay: (muttering) Whatcha think yer doin’, eh?! Ye gotta be a wee bit gentler if ye want the lass to like ya! Ye gotta apologize, ye know?

  Focus: (muttering in annoyance) Apologize for what?! It’s not my fault she’s being naggy all of a sudden!

  Shay: First rule o’ bein’ a man in a relationship: apologize! For everythin’! An’ I mean it! Everythin’!

  Focus: (raising an eyebrow) Even if I did nothing wrong.

  Shay: ESPECIALLY if ye did nuthin’ wrong! Take it from me. Now go.

  (Focus grits his teeth in annoyance, a small blush forming on his face, but then he sighs deeply, hiding the blush for now, and then retraces his steps to walk alongside Flare, who remains blank in bafflement. Things remain in awkward silence for a while, but then Focus clears his throat to speak up.)

  Focus: (clearing his throat) I’m… sorry… if I upset you with what I said.

  Flare: (taken by surprise) Oh, it’s… nothing, really.

  Focus: (flatly) Exactly.

  Flare: Wait, what?

  Focus: (his tone unchanged) I’m sorry I ate that biscuit yesterday.

  Flare: What biscuit?

  Focus: (still flatly) I’m sorry I pushed you off a cliff the other day.

  Flare: (blankly) But you didn’t.

  Shay: (muttering to himself) Ah jaysus, Focus! Now yer just goin’ o’er the top!

  Focus: (deadpan) I’m sorry if my existence is inconvenient.

  Flare: (annoyed) STOP APOLOGIZING!

  Focus: (blankly) Oh. Apologies.

  Shay: (annoyed as well) Stop it already! It’s gettin’ a bit unnecessary now, isn’t it?

  Focus: (to Shay, frustrated) But you told me to apologize for stuff I didn’t do!

  (Shay and Flare’s expressions remain frozen in sheer bewilderment, while Focus glances back and forth at them with a blank, baffled expression. Suddenly, as they continue walking, an arrow strikes the ground in front of them, placing them on high alert, and almost immediately afterwards, a group of people armed with knives and arrows while wearing winter clothes surround them. Focus glances around and grits his teeth at them, and both he and Flare take a fighting stance, ready to throw hands if needed. It’s then that the leader of the bandits steps up, cockily smirking as he holds his dagger tight. The trio have just arrived in Alaska, and they’re already in trouble.)