Nerya held Mei's file, her fingers gliding slowly over the printed words as she read, her eyes narrowing in contemplation.
Mei:
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Crimes: Association with the Mind Cultivation: Psychic Path book
"There's more to this girl than it seems," Nerya murmured under her breath.
Zack entered the room, his tone steady. "She's agreed to meet with you—but on one condition. It has to be in a public place. And I must come with you."
Nerya raised an eyebrow, then gave a small, intrigued smile. For someone her age, she's quite the negotiator… A strong distrust toward authority. Dealing with her won't be easy.
---
Stonebrook Park – Later That Day
Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting scattered shadows across the walkways. Children played in the distance while joggers passed by unaware of the silent surveillance underway.
At the far end of the park, two figures in casual clothing sat on a bench near a fountain. Nathan adjusted his cap while Henry kept his eyes behind a pair of reflective sunglasses.
"We're in position," Henry said softly, speaking into a hidden comm. "No sign of her yet."
Nathan nodded, his gaze sweeping the park. "Let's hope this meeting doesn't go sideways."
They had recently saved a young vigilante who almost died—Oliver.
Oliver held his phone and checked the time. He thought, "Maybe she isn't coming."
"Oliver."
He turned in shock and saw Lila. Lila huffed, "Sorry I'm late."
A blush formed on Oliver's face. "She's so cute." Lila reached for him, "Sorry, I lost track of time. I hope I didn't make you wait long."
Oliver scratched his head and said, "No, not at all. Just got here myself."
Henry and Nathan were still watching from a distance. Henry frowned, "What's up with this guy's body language?"
Nathan glanced at him. "Elevated heartbeat and increased body temperature."
Henry pulled down his face mask and yelled, "What the hell…" Oliver was going down on one knee.
He pulled Lila's hand and leaned to kiss it. Henry and Nathan stood up and rushed toward them. But Lila handled it herself—she pulled her hand back and said, "Don't touch me."
Oliver sighed, "Sorry." He continued, "As you know, I'm Oliver. What's your name?"
Lila, unwavering, replied, "That's not important. I only came because I didn't want to leave you hanging. Look, it's good that you want to use your powers to save lives and rescue people, but this vigilante stuff—it would be very irresponsible if we let you join us… I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous for someone like you."
Oliver, in shock, said, "What… too dangerous for me? What do you mean?"
Footsteps were heard—Nathan and Henry came forward.
"Let's explain."
Oliver turned his gaze toward them. "Who are you?"
Their eyes narrowed. "Back the fuck up, buddy." But Lila drew Nathan back, her voice barely above a whisper, "What do you guys think you're doing? You're supposed to watch from afar. You're way too close—he can see your faces."
Nathan sighed, "Look, the authorities already have a target on us. It's best we keep this guy up close."
Oliver spoke up, "Uhmm… what's going on?"
Henry moved closer to Oliver and said, "We're not here to make friends. We're here to tell you that you're weak and will barely survive in this city as a vigilante. But if you want to make a difference—go start a club or something."
Oliver frowned, "Look, I know I'm no match for you guys, or any guys in this city, but I have my own strengths."
Nathan replied, "The way this works is that everything counts. One wrong move, and you're dead. I mean—if you can't protect yourself, then what can you offer?"
Oliver folded his arms and said, "Well… you see, my family is stinking rich."
Henry snapped, "Wait—are you trying to buy your way in?"
Oliver quickly replied, "No, no, not at all. You guys saved my life, and I just want to return the favour."
"Like, maybe you guys need new gear—something other than nose masks and glasses."
Henry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."
Oliver continued, "I've been thinking about it all week. I can't be the only newbie out there. What if other people are trying to become vigilantes and get themselves caught up in dangerous situations? If VIREX kills them off, then that's another casualty on the news."
"Vigilantes have the odds stacked against them. So shouldn't we protect our own? If the authorities aren't doing anything about VIREX, then why don't we deal with VIREX ourselves?"
Lila stroked her grin. "He might be onto something."
She drew Nathan and Henry back. "Group huddle."
She spoke up, "He does have a point. We are not strong enough to defeat VIREX, but if we gather new vigilantes with stronger abilities, we might overwhelm them—at the very least."
Henry agreed, "That's true. Marsh identified five VIREX agents in this city, and I doubt there are many more."
Nathan added, "Yeah, and having a sponsor isn't so bad. He's right—we need more disguises."
Oliver then stepped closer. "So, what do you say? Am I in?"
---
Fred's Apartment
Mei held the test tube and said, "So this is the same stuff you gave Kai the other day?"
Fred nodded. "Yeah… but I made a few adjustments. This one is more potent and should give effective results."
"Give it a try. Tell me if you feel anything."
Mei sighed and drank it, then left. Later, in her room, she held her laptop and saw the book Kai had told her about.
"Hmmh… this book is really spreading. 60k views already. But this book… why does it feel like I'm the one it's written about?"
Mei winced in pain and held her neck. "What's happening?"
She collapsed to the ground. Fred came out from the bathroom, his toothbrush still in his mouth. Elizabeth also opened the door and screamed, "Mei!"
"Mei, what's wrong?" They rushed to her, but Mei was still gasping for breath. Her eyes beamed blue.