"I'm Ted, this is Omniboy and that's Rift," the large golden robot introduced himself and his friends, pointing to the blue-skinned boy and bandaged girl respectively.
"And I'm Blue Shadow. This is Sharkwoman, Green Guardian and Obsidian," Jake replied, pointing to each teammate as he introduced them.
Stacya managed to get up and walked over to help Zack. He refused her and pointed to Paulina, who was still down.
She walked over to Paulina and helped her up. She then helped her walk over to Jake's side. She wanted to help Zack but he gave her a reassuring smile as he forced himself to get back up.
"Now that introductions are out of the way..." Jake continued, looking at a struggling Zack, "Let's start with the explanations. Why are you here, for starters?"
"We... we have nowhere else to go," Ted said nervously as Rift walked over to him and held his cold metallic hand.
"Where did you stay before?" Jake asked, showing concern.
"We used to stay in Zee City," Ted answered.
"What? I thought that place was abandoned since that big monster attack?" Jake interrupted.
"For a while it was, but it became a safe haven for mumans across the country. A secret muman Utopia, if you will."
"Then what happened?" Stacya interjected.
"Someone powerful showed up. He had plans. Big plans. For all of us. He wanted to wage war on the Super Society. On Commonwealth. Everyone."
"B... Broker?" Paulina asked and winced soon after.
"Yes," Ted replied.
"Broker?" Jake asked Paulina.
"Milten told me about him a short while after the meeting at Super Island. He's some kind of muman terrorist. Didn't want gangs like the Dragon Clan interfering with his plans so he sent gangs like the Kobra Klan to deal with them. From the way Milten described him, he sounded like really bad news," Paulina answered.
"Yeah. He wants to form some kind of muman army. He invaded Zee City a few months ago. Told all the mumans there to either join his army or die. We had to escape. Luckily a group of vigilantes led by some guy called Archer saved us and several other mumans."
"And let me guess, you went from town to town and ended up here?" Jake asked.
"Y... yes," Ted nervously answered.
"Well then. We'll leave you kids alone," Jake said and turned to the others, shocking Paulina.
"What? Blue, our exact orders were to kick them out!" Paulina spat as she walked away.
"These are kids, Obsidian. Innocent kids with nowhere else to go. We can't kick them out," Jake said, angrily pointing a finger at her.
"Well, they can't stay here!" Paulina replied angrily.
"Then why not let them stay with us?" Stacya suggested, catching everyone off guard.
"Sharkwoman, we can't do that. Not without our boss's permission," Paulina said with a somber tone.
"Th... then why don't we just get permission?" Zack said, barely managing to keep on his feet. Jake quickly rushed to his side to support him.
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
"Zack?! You can't be serious!" Paulina shouted at him, concerned about his injured state.
"I am. What isn't fine to me is leaving these kids to fend for themselves," Zack said, struggling to keep still.
"I fully agree, bro, but do you really think Milten is gonna allow these kids to stay in our base?" Jake asked.
"I don't see why not. As long as they're up for it. Right, kids?" Zack said and asked the muman kids.
The trio looked at each other nervously for a moment until Ted spoke up.
"W... we just need a place to stay. We don't want you to turn us into supers like you."
"Who said we wanted to? We just want to help you," Zack said with a smile as he and Jake approached the kids.
"Don't worry. We'll just give you a place to rest your heads," Jake said with a smile.
"But why? We attacked you. I gave that guy a concussion for God's sake," Ted said, pointing at Zack.
"You were defending yourselves. It's all good," Zack said with a smile, surprising the kids.
"Th... thanks," Omniboy spoke out, trying not to make eye contact with any of the squad members.
Rift stayed silent but she kept her gaze on Jake. Something he couldn't help but notice but did all he could to ignore. There was something that connected them to each other and Paulina was quick to notice it.
"Fine then. If this is what you guys want, you'll have to take it up with Milten," Paulina said.
"Fine then. Let's head out," Zack stated, and like that, everyone was heading out of the building to meet with Milten.
A few hours later...
Back at the Danger Squad Base, Milten was waiting patiently in his office for Max and Luthor to call. He had sent them on a mission to bust up a base belonging to the Broker.
He had multiple criminal contacts across the city with the sole mission of gathering info on the Broker and after two weeks of nothing, he finally got what he wanted.
So he sent Luthor and Max to destroy the place and capture a few of their members. With a hostage and a direct source of information on Broker's plans, he was sure to take him down.
And if he did actually do it, the respect he'd get from the country as a whole would far surpass that of that pathetic Super Society.
They treated him as a joke in that meeting room. Like his victory against the Kovra Klan meant nothing.
They were wrong.
And he'd prove it.
Suddenly his bell rang and his robot assistant Surge called him.
"What is it, Surge?" Milten asked, annoyed at his thoughts being interrupted. "Have Max and Luthor returned from the mission?"
"No, sir, it's Jake and the others."
"I see." "Well, take them to the Meeting room for debriefing."
"Actually, sir, they seem to have guests with them."
"Guests?"
"Yes, sir. And they want to talk to... oh..." Surge stopped and Milten could hear voices from afar. "Just Jake? OK. Jake wants to see you, sir."
"I see. Send him in," Milten said with a smirk. He had even forgotten he sent them on a mission in the first place. Well, no matter. Jake rarely went to talk to Milten personally.
Even when he was briefing them on the mission, Guardian and the cyborg were the only ones he talked to. The Atlantean talked to him for a bit and stopped pretty quickly. Once she got the message he didn't want to speak to her, she backed off.
Thank God for that.
"Let's see what this was about. Come in," Milten said as he heard his doorbell ring.
Jake stepped into the room with the three mumans behind him, catching Milten by surprise.
"Hello, Jake. Where are the others?"
"In the infirmary. They're all a little banged up after the mission."
"I see. And who are they?"
"They're the mumans we found in the hospital. They were in need of a home but I didn't want to just kick them out and leave them to fend for themselves so I offered them one here."
"Oh? So is that why you're here? To convince me to let them stay here? In our base?"
"Yeah. Pretty much," Jake said, expecting Milten's refusal.
He didn't get that.
"Okay then. I'll arrange for a few rooms downstairs to be set up in a few hours. They'll stay with you for the time being," Milten said calmly, confusing the kids.
"W... what? That's it?" Jake asked, even more confused than the kids were.
"Yeah. That's it. I'm not some heartless monster, Jake. Judging by their looks, these are clearly kids in need of a home. If I'm able to provide one, I might as well should," Milten said as he reached into his desk and took a pack of chewing gum. "Gum?"
"I'm good. Sorry. It's just, I was expecting more..."
"Contention? Disagreement? Not here, friend. Now get them settled. Their training begins..."
"Training? Oh no, Milten. I'm not turning them into child soldiers," Jake interrupted.
"I see." Milten said and paused.
"Got a problem with that?"
"Not at all. If they don't want to fight crime, they won't. It was just a suggestion."
"Why are you being like this?"
"Like what?"
"This! You're too friendly. Kind-hearted. It's not like you."
"Oh? Do you know what I'm really like? You haven't talked to me in a long time, Jake. Hell, you don't even look at me. It's like I disgust you. Not a good way to treat the man who saved your life," Milten said with a chuckle.
Jake looked at him speechless. He had no idea it was going to be this easy. He turned towards the kids and noticed Omniboy smiling at him. Then he saw Ted tilting his head at an odd angle. Ted's robotic face left little room for emotion so Jake just went on a limb and assumed he was happy.
Rift kept staring at him, though. She even had the same creepy stare she gave him back at the hospital.
Seriously, what was her deal?
And why did she seem so familiar?
"If that's all then you're free to leave, Jake. Unless you have more to say?" Milten asked, now chewing gum.
"N... no that's about it. I'll go get my room ready for the kids. C'mon, guys..." Jake said and stepped out of Milten's office.
Once he took his foot off the door and tried to close it, Milten called him.
"Oh and Jake, if you have any issue. Anything at all, my doors are always open."
Jake closed the doors soon after.
"I think that went well. How about you?" Jake asked the kids.
"That guy seems so damn creepy. I can see why you don't talk to him much," Omniboy said.
"C'mon, Omniboy! Be nice. At least he was kind enough to let us stay here," Ted scolded him.
"Don't worry, Ted. I agree with Omniboy here. Milten is a strange fellow. Best not to trust him," Jake said as he walked over to Omniboy and played with his long, sea-blue hair. "Now, c'mon, let's clean up your... our room."
As the kids followed him, Ted reached out his hand to Rift but she ignored it and inched closer to Jake. Ted let out a small scoff and followed on, completely uninterested in the implications of that.
That's when they saw Stacya coming towards them with a gleeful smile. She had bandages across her forehead but other than that, she looked fine.
"Wow, Stacya. You're doing pretty well for someone who got their brains bashed in," Jake mused.
"Oh yeah. My Atlantean healing really comes in handy."
"Sorry about that. Me attacking you," Ted said quietly.
"Oh, no need to worry. I understand why you did it. It doesn't matter anyway. Did you get them to stay, Jake?" Stacya replied.
"Yeah, surprisingly. Milten was really cool with letting them stay. Even agreed to just let them live here as opposed to being supers."
"Well, that was nice of him!"
"I don't know. He doesn't seem like the type to just allow stuff like this. I'll keep an eye on him."
"Oh, come on, Jake. What is it you humans say? Don't look a gift shark in the mouth?"
"I think it's horse?" Omniboy cut in, drawing everyone's gaze towards him.
"Well, it doesn't matter. How are Zack and Paulina doing?"
"Pretty well. Paulina is still in self-repair and she might be there for a while. Zack had a concussion but nothing too serious. He'll be bedridden for a while though," Stacya explained.
Ted put his hands on his head and took a few steps back in shame.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ted! They're not mad. Now, come on. Let's head to wherever you'll be staying," Stacya consoled him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"That would be my room," Jake said matter-of-factly. The group then walked to Jake's room and began preparations.
Meanwhile, back in Milten's office, the man was laughing.
"Jesus, Max, you better be right about this guy. Fuck..." Milten said as he quickly composed himself.
Suddenly, his phone rang again.
"What is it now, Surge?"
"S... sir, it seems Red Shadow and New Warzone have completed their mission."
Milten's smile instantly widened.
"Oh, I see. Get them on the line then..."
Milten's phone buzzed for a few seconds and he sat there in silence. His plans hinged on their mission being successful.
Suddenly, Luthor's voice came through.
"Boss?"
"How'd the mission go?" Milten quickly replied.
"We're just about done here," Luthor said, kicking some rubble from the ruined building that was formerly a base for one of Broker's gangs.
"That's good. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."
"Yeah, but it seems we went a little overboard. Or rather, Red did."
"What did he do?"
"He killed everyone."
"What?!" Milten said, jumping off his seat. Just as he did that, he could hear the maniacal cackling from Max just a few metres away...
To be continued.