The day after I completed my secret mission in Atlanta, I was abruptly recalled. Sentinel Solutions didn't hesitate. They extracted me without warning or ceremony, citing one critical reason: the Harbingers had placed a bounty on my head. The moment the word got out, it didn't take long before the entire villain community across the globe was put on high alert. I had become a marked man, a living target, a symbol of resistance—and a high-value threat.
It's been two long weeks since that mission, and all we've done since then is hide. Stay tucked away in a secure facility, buried beneath concrete and secrecy, while the world above us burns.
Villains everywhere began mobilizing almost overnight. They didn't wait for orders or hesitate to act. Many of Sentinel Solutions' satellite facilities were raided. Cities that were once protected strongholds quickly turned into battlegrounds. It wasn't just isolated incidents anymore—it was an all-out war.
Every single day became a report of devastation. Another headline. Another skirmish. Another body count. Heroes and villains were dying at an alarming rate, and the media couldn't keep up. The chaos was too widespread. The lines between offense and defense, between justice and retaliation, blurred until it all became one continuous, bloodstained war. And all of it—every fight, every loss, every explosion—stemmed from the same source.
The Harbingers.
Their desire wasn't peace. It wasn't balanced. It was domination. They wanted control—absolute and total. Their ideology was simple: to rule a world where no one could oppose them. But no single person or organization should ever hold that kind of power. Not in a free world. And certainly not in mine.
The situation was spiraling, and the world knew it. The government had started resurrecting old hero programs—groups that had disbanded decades ago—just to combat the Harbinger threat. Meanwhile, civilian defense projects were launched to arm everyday people with tech and training. It was no longer just heroes fighting villains. It was survival.
Thankfully, Sentinel Solutions had prepared for something like this. They had a facility designed for worst-case scenarios—a place that operated completely off the grid. And that's where I ended up. Out of sight. Out of the fight.
Sitting in the briefing room, I could feel the weight of my absence from the field. My knuckles twitched with impatience. Rage bubbled beneath the surface, hidden behind a tightly clenched jaw.
"There was a good reason for pulling you out," Joe Wann said, standing at the head of the conference table, flanked by the board members. "The Harbingers have officially begun their move."
His tone was serious, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Cecelia, never one to sugarcoat anything, spoke next. "You did well infiltrating Atlanta, but you failed to complete the mission. We needed results. Not chaos."
I didn't say anything right away. My back was to them as I faced the far wall, jaw tight. I didn't trust myself to speak without lashing out.
When I finally turned, my voice came out low. "I can handle myself. None of you has the power I do—you wouldn't understand."
Rem stepped in, her voice softer but no less firm. "Kaleb… I've supported you through this entire conflict. But heading back into the field now? That's suicide."
I turned and met her eyes, my gaze sharp. "Aren't we supposed to be heroes? Then why the hell are we standing around?"
For a moment, silence filled the room like smoke. Paul was the first to break it. "We're sorry about your sister, Kaleb. We truly are. But if you're captured by the Harbingers, it's over. This resistance means nothing without you."
Joe clicked his pen, a final note of authority. "This isn't a debate. You will remain here. You will not leave until we determine it's safe."
My eyes narrowed. "And if I refuse?"
The tension in the air thickened like a storm cloud. Joe didn't hesitate. "Then you'll be locked up where you should have been."
My fists clenched, and red energy crackled to life around my silhouette. For a brief second, the entire room trembled from my power. I could have shattered that table in two, ripped this room apart. But I didn't. That's what they wanted. They wanted an excuse to say I was dangerous. To chain me. Control me. Weaponize me.
I exhaled through my nose, forcing the storm inside me to calm.
"Very well," I said quietly.
I turned and walked out without another word. Rem's gaze followed me with worry, but she didn't speak. She knew I was far from okay.
Once back in my quarters, I paced the room, restless. The walls were closing in, and my thoughts screamed with frustration. My family was out there. My sister. My people. And they were trying to keep me caged like some wild threat. Worse, they were holding a prison over my head as a leash.
No. That wasn't going to work.
I walked over to the wall, raised my hand, and with a pulse of red energy, drew a circle in the air. The surface shimmered with a ripple of light, forming a portal that opened to a hallway—just outside Maddie's room.
I stepped through and knocked.
The door opened almost instantly. "Kaleb?" Maddie blinked in surprise. "Did you finally convince them?"
I shook my head. "No. They think sending me back out is too risky." I scowled. "Which is ridiculous. I can hold my own."
Inside, Maddie wasn't alone. Jacob—known as Kaboom—and Rev, or Pulse, were lounging nearby. They both looked up when they heard me.
"They're losing their minds," Jacob said. "This whole bunker mentality isn't going to win the war."
"We have to take the fight to them," Maddie agreed. "If we wait around, we lose."
Jacob stood and said, "We need a name. If we're doing this ourselves, we need something to rally behind."
Maddie looked at me. "Any ideas?"
I crossed my arms, a sense of determination setting in. "If they want to label us as outlaws... let's give them a reason."
Maddie smirked, already reading my mind. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Chase—our tech specialist—leaned in, grinning. "How about… The Renegades?"
Rev nodded, expression serious. "We're not rebels. We're a resistance. This is bigger than defiance. It's survival."
I could feel my power pulse again, slow but steady, like a drumbeat of coming war. "Then it's settled. We move fast, we move smart. And the Harbingers? They won't know what hit them."
We all exchanged looks of unity. That was the moment the Renegades were born.
Booker had recovered enough to be mobile again, and we made him our fifth member. I found him alone in the medical wing, pacing restlessly.
"So what's the plan?" he asked.
"We're still working out the details," I said. "But we have a name. We're The Renegades now."
Booker repeated the name under his breath, then walked past me, shaking his head. "I don't know, man. This might be a mistake."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He glanced over his shoulder. "We should listen to Sentinel Solutions. Maybe they're right."
But something was off. I felt it the moment he spoke. A strange hum vibrated from his neck, barely noticeable unless you were trained to sense energy.
I stepped closer. "What's that coming from your neck?"
He shoved me back. "Stop. They're trying to fix this!"
I reached for him again, but before I could touch him, he unleashed a blast that sent me flying across the room and into the wall.
Pain throbbed through my side, but it was nothing compared to the surge of betrayal boiling inside me. My power surged, and with a quick flick of my wrist, I locked him in place, freezing him mid-motion.
He struggled, growling in frustration, but the more I tried to hold him, the more his power began to spike out of control. I couldn't contain him. My grip faltered.
With a roar, he broke free.
Energy exploded from his fists, and he began hurling blast after blast at me. I darted through the room, dodging as fast as I could.
"Booker, stop!" I shouted.
But he didn't hear me—or didn't want to.
Finally, I grounded myself and hit him with a focused pulse that knocked him out cold.
As his body hit the floor, I heard the cold, firm voice of Cecelia behind me. "Arrest him."
The hallway had filled with board members. Rem was there, but she said nothing.
Security stormed in, surrounding me. I raised a hand. "Don't. This is a mistake."
Joe gave a cold shake of his head. "You made your choice."
I didn't think. I acted.
"Stop!" I shouted—and with that command, I dropped every guard into unconsciousness.
I slammed my palm to the ground, creating a bubble of alternate reality—one where time would stall just long enough to give me a head start.
Grabbing Booker's unconscious body, I dashed down the corridor. Maddie and the others were already moving. We all rendezvoused at the facility's main gate.
The moment we arrived, the guards opened fire. But Jacob raised a hand and blasted the gate wide open.
Chase was close behind, hauling a duffle bag filled with everything we'd need to survive on the run.
Maddie looked at each of us. "Ready?"
We didn't hesitate. "Definitely," we said in unison.
The Renegades were officially in motion. And nothing—not Sentinel Solutions, not the Harbingers—was going to stop us now.