Location: Echelon Prime, Earth – Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
After checking into Hotel Continental, Hero Xender changed into a civilian-grade Vanguard uniform — matte black, minimal, and without any insignia, save for the faint glow of the Genesis Core at his collar. A detail most wouldn't recognize — unless they held the right level of clearance.
He stepped out into the city streets of Echelon Prime, the heart of Earth's eastern megadistrict. Neon billboards shimmered across chrome buildings. Hoverbikes darted through lanes of air traffic. Market stalls buzzed with multilingual chatter, augmented food scents, and robotic vendors.
As Hero Xender walked slowly down the avenue, people instinctively cleared a path. His sheer size — 7 feet 3 inches, built like a god from myth — demanded attention. Civilians whispered with reverence. Some took discreet photos. Others simply stared.
A boy's voice broke the ambient buzz.
"Mister Vanguard!" a child called.
Hero turned.
A young boy, no older than nine, was weaving through the crowd with a digital autograph pad in hand. His cheeks were flushed with excitement.
But just before the boy could reach him, two men — plainclothes officers — stepped forward from the crowd.
"Hold up, kid," one of them warned, subtly reaching for the boy's shoulder.
Hero Xender looked at them.
He didn't speak. Didn't move. Just looked.
That was enough.
A wave of dread ran through both agents like an electric current. Every instinct screamed at them — danger. Not because of what he did, but because of what he could do.
The man pulled back.
"Apologies, sir," he murmured under his breath.
Hero's eyes softened as he turned his full attention to the boy.
"What's your name, soldier?" he asked, kneeling down.
"James!" the boy said, beaming. "Can I get your autograph, sir? Please?"
Hero placed his thumb on the boy's pad. The interface lit up with the Vanguard emblem and an encrypted signature.
"There you go. A mark of honor."
"Thanks!" James grinned, but his expression quickly shifted. "Um… I can't find my parents. We were in the market, and I got lost."
Hero stood up and offered a hand. "Then let's find them. You don't leave a comrade behind."
Within minutes, Hero scanned the biometric grid of the surrounding district. James' parents were located not far from the north market, frantically searching and calling their son's name.
Hero approached with James beside him.
"Mom! Dad!" the boy shouted.
The reunion was tearful. His parents hugged him tightly, barely noticing the towering figure who had brought him back.
Then James looked up. "Can he have dinner with us tonight? Please?"
The parents froze. Their eyes widened.
Hero smiled, a warm, calming gesture. "Only if your parents don't mind."
The father hesitated, then nodded. "Y-yes, of course. It would be our honor."
Nearby, a drone in the shape of a bird clicked and sent encrypted data to EarthGov.
"Director Inox," an agent said over a secure channel. "Xender has accepted a dinner invitation with civilians. Family of three. No known affiliations."
Silence.
Then Director Inox replied: "Do not intervene. Do not make contact. Increase passive surveillance and alert all sectors. If he's bonding with civilians, it means he's learning something. And he's watching us too."
Across control rooms and AI hubs, government departments braced themselves. No one wanted to be the next to make a mistake.
Hero Xender continued walking with the family as if nothing had happened.
But the city — and every official within it — held their breath.
He had come to Earth.
And now he was among them.