"Hahahaha! I know my parents didn't abandon us!"
In the GHF headquarters, Belinha's laugh echoed throughout one of the meeting rooms. She was patting Batu's back while grinning ear to ear.
"I think you're being dramatic, Belinha."
Batu stopped her from slapping his back and sat down.
"This team is already overflowing with talent even without me."
He gestured to the rookies.
"You guys are Myrmidons, right? I heard about you. A team consisting of Rookies who graduated at the top of their class, breaking records in the process. You were quickly making a name for yourselves in your country, Yugoslavia. The next thing I heard was that you were being punished for breaking the rules."
"Thank you for your praises and we've already reflected on our past mistakes."
Mikel bowed.
"I know about their achievements, but they're still young and inexperienced."
Belinha spoke with a frown.
"True, but the same can be said about us. I'm 24 and you're 23, we're not that much older than them."
"That's the problem. We're too young! We're dealing with monsters, we need experience!"
"Then we just need to fight a lot."
Impactor spoke out.
"I was never taught how to fight. I just swung my fists and legs until the guy in front of me begged for mercy. We just need to do that and everything will be fine."
"I agree with Impactor, Belinha. There's no use thinking about it too much. We just have to fight when the time comes."
Belinha wrapped her arm around Batu's shoulder and pointed at Impactor.
"Batu, look at him. Look at his eyes. There are no thoughts inside that head, just vibes. We can't listen to him."
Batu smiled awkwardly as he stared at Impactor.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it's going to be fine."
"They're so fucked."
In the underground base of Iron Rain, Sinvula had just finished watching the press conference with Bastion and Kiara.
"They're so fucked it's actually funny."
"They actually picked a fight with us and the Bellum Company. Has the Board of Heroes lost their minds?"
Bastion's tone was filled with surprise.
"They're being quite aggressive. Even going as far as using Sin Sentinel's name to rally the masses."
"Using the eternal #1 Hero to promote a new team is a pretty good strategy."
Kiara said while operating her phone.
"If social media is a good reference, then the general public is behind this new team."
All three of them had cuts and bruises on them.
"I'm surprised they're focusing only on you and Alala, and not Mishma though."
Bastion said while looking at Sinvula.
"Makes sense, actually. I wouldn't want to provoke Mishma either. It's too much of a risk."
"I've met Alala but never Mishma. I don't know what they even look like."
"You guys have already met Mishma many times already, Kiara. You just didn't know it."
"What? When? How?"
"It's a bit complicated. Just know the GHF can't risk pissing Mishma off even if it means pissing Alala and me off."
He stood up and stretched his body.
"My injuries from that scolding still hurt like hell."
He spoke with a frown before heading towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
He stopped at Kiara's question and showed a grin.
"I'm going to watch the chaos unfold."
GHF HQ, Berlin.
"Mhm~!"
Belinha stretched her body with a groan.
"After meeting the whole team, I feel a lot better."
She faced her teammates.
"How about we go out for dinner to celebrate?"
"I want Boeuf Bourguignon! I've never tried it before!"
Impactor raised his hand and shouted.
"Then, I'll look for a French restaurant in Berlin."
"I want authentic Boeuf Bourguignon from France."
Belinha looked at him with confusion.
"Are you saying you want to go to France to eat?"
Impactor nodded.
"We can just use the Teleportation Array."
"The Teleportation Array is for official business, not for leisure."
Belinha argued.
"Just let him, he earned it."
"No, I can't just—"
Belinha swallowed her words. The voice she was replying to was unfamiliar. She and her team slowly turned around.
"Hi~!"
Behind them was a woman dressed in white military clothing with a cape and wearing a blank mask.
"Eris?!"
Everyone other than Impactor quickly got into positions to fight.
"How did you get in here?"
Belinha's eyes were locked on Eris' every move.
"How? I'm sure the GHF has a database on my abilities. Please figure it out yourselves."
Eris took a step forward. Impactor blasted off the ground and flew at her without hesitation.
"Wait!"
He ignored Belinha and punched out. His fist flew through Eris' body.
"?!"
"Aren't you hasty?"
Eris started glowing before turning into light particles. She appeared behind Impactor, pointing her finger at the back of his head like a gun.
"Recklessness will only quicken your death."
Eris stretched her free hand behind her and blocked a laser with her palm. She turned her head to look at Mikel.
"A fellow light-based powers user."
Impactor kicked out behind him, but she had vanished. She reappeared from beams of light above Mikel. She thrust her hand at his head. Her hand was blocked by an invisible force and was unable to touch him. The twins turned their arms into cannons and fired at her. An explosion erupted above Mikel, but he was unharmed.
"I see, so that's the infamous Heavy Touch."
She appeared in the middle of everyone, facing Batu.
"It's to meet you, Mr.7."
"The pleasure is all mine!"
Batu punched the air in front of him and Eris was flung back by an invisible force.
"Oh my. I didn't think hardening the air would have so much force."
Flickers of crimson embers appeared around her. A pillar of crimson flames devoured her.
Beams of light gathered next to Impactor and formed Eris.
"Quite the team you were given, Impactor."
"Well, thanks."
Impactor didn't attack her and simply stood beside her.
"I'm surprised you're so relaxed now."
"Well, I don't think you're taking this seriously so I can't get in the mood."
Impactor grinned at her.
"Also, Alala is here, isn't she?"
"?!"
The rest of his teammates flinched at the mention of Alala.
"I don't like how you address her, but yes."
She looked at Belinha.
"My Commander doesn't believe in the death of innocents if it isn't war, so she sent me to give you all a warning."
"Oh, my. She's quite the saint."
Belinha mumbled with a dry smile.
"Think of us how you wish, but she's giving you a chance to save as much lives as possible."
Eris drew her sabre from its sheath and stabbed it in the ground.
"If you want to turn this place into a wasteland of death, then we're always willing to oblige."
"….How do you want to do this?"
"The Müggelberge (Muggle Mountains), it's been abandoned since the Great Race War, so nobody should be anywhere near it."
Eris pulled her sabre from the ground and slid it back into its sheath.
"You can try your hardest to survive without worries."
Around 15 minutes later, Kismet arrived at Müggelberge with Eris. The mountains were void of greenery. All the trees were dead and blackened. There was no grass or wildlife anywhere. Giant craters could be seen wherever the eyes went. It was a barren wasteland that rejected all forms of life.
"This place used to be quite beautiful before it was ravaged by the flames of war."
Alala walked out from behind a dead tree with Phobos and Deimos behind her.
"War is a hideous monster that taints the hearts of the pure-hearted until they're just as ugly as it."
"And yet you profit from war."
Belinha frowned at her while Eris appeared at Alala's side.
"Become the Wicked to live the life of the Blessed. That's our motto."
Alala looked at Impactor.
"New mask?"
Impactor was wearing a different wrestling mask. This one had a golden "I" on it.
"I just got it."
The rest of his team were wearing combat suits except for Belinha and Batu.
"Looks like you weren't able to prepare because of the short notice."
She looked towards the sky.
"Yet, you were able to prepare an audience."
"Cameras?"
Phobos asked.
"Satellites, stealth jets, and drones using camouflage."
(She noticed all of them in an instant....What a monster!
Belinha thought while clenching her fists.
"Do you want us to destroy them?"
Deimos asked with eagerness.
"No, let them broadcast what they want to the world."
She brought her eyes back down to Kismet.
"Anti-Calamity team, huh?"
Everyone other than Impactor tensed up at her cold tone.
"Alright, let's put that to the test."
She pointed at them.
"I'll take you all on by myself."
"?!"
"Any objections?"
"Do we have a choice?"
Impactor asked while cracking his fingers.
"No."
Impactor lifted his fists.
"Just how I like it."
(Ah, fuck! We haven't even been formed for a day and now we have to fight together against her?!)
Belinha shouted in her head while gritting her teeth. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and exhaled. Her eyes narrowed and her heartbeat slowed to a stagnant rate.
"Fuck it. There's no use complaining."
She stretched her hand to the side and crimson flickers hovered around her arm.
"Listen, don't bother trying to work together because it will only result in a mess. So to keep it simple, everybody should focus on one thing.
Crimson flames engulfed her arm and a bird's cry echoed through the air.
"Survive!"
She swung her arm and a wave of crimson flames rushed at Alala.
"Wise words, Belinha."
Alala kicked off the ground and flew at the flames. She swung her hand and explosions slowed the fire. She clenched her fist and threw a punch. A fist flew out of the flames and clashed with hers. Shockwaves spread and cleared the fires away. Impactor and Alala's fists were locked together.
"Long time no see, Brat. Good to see you in good health."
"Now I have no excuses for when I die, right?"
"Bingo."
Alala snapped her fingers and Impactor was hit by an explosion. She stepped back and dodged a hook from him. A thundering noise resounded as an invisible force destroyed dozens of trees next to her.
"Gotta move faster than that, boy."
She stepped in and grabbed his face. She slammed his head into the ground.
"Otherwise, this will be over before you can get in the zone."
Alala leapt back to evade a burst of crimson flames. She blinked and Batu was in front of her. He thrust his palms out. She was flung back after getting hit by an invisible force. Lasers flew at her while she was mid-air. She kicked the air. A small explosion detonated at her feet. It moved her out of the lasers' path. Impactor and Belinha flew at her from her flanks. Belinha hit her with a blazing kick while Impactor slammed his fist into her side.
"?!"
Their eyes peeled opened after hitting her.
(No damage?)
Belinha's mind raced as a red line appeared across her chest.
"Pay attention, Belinha."
Alala snapped her fingers. A small explosion erupted across Belinha's torso. Her upper body was severed from her midsection.
"Otherwise, things like this will happen."
Alala grabbed Belinha's upper body and threw it into the air.
"Belin--"
Impactor's words were cut off by Alala's hand in his face. An explosion hit him point-blank, causing him to stumble back. Alala removed her cape and threw it to the ground.
"Come on, Anti-Calamity Team. We're just getting started."