After making peace with my sister, she accepted to become my temporary bodyguard.

We had a lot to talk about, but we caught up fast. I talked about how I spent two years getting dragged around the world, working as an assistant in the world's most sophisticated weapon factories, while she told me about her two years of training.

Olivia is a strange kid. Her power is immense. She can create and turn into a black smoke-like substance that she can change its density, state of matter, and speed. But that power had a cost to her, a mental disability when overusing it, and a thousand scars covering her body, a remnant of the inhumane experiments.

"Today's mission would be recruiting a vigilante around our age," I said while looking at the ocean from the plane window.

There were pieces from a mega-yacht-sized Crimson's body floating.

Dozens of specialized boats were harvesting valuable material from the floating parts while a much bigger lifting ship was waiting for them to finish their job so it could pull out the freshly sunken main body for processing more valuable material.

"Most interesting." I turned to Olivia. "Isn't it."

She yawned and stretched. "Yes, yes. Most certainly. What is you are talking about?" She is still half asleep and lost her ability to use proper grammar. 

I held myself from chuckling. "About our mission. What are we here for." I liked to mess with her when she was sleepy or newly woken.

Olivia looked at me with proud but sleep-deprived eyes. "To find a vegetable old as us."

Even though I forced myself not to laugh, I let some laughter out after hearing her answer. 

"What? Did I get something wrong?" She asked with confused eyes.

Shortly after, our plane landed.

***

**

*

[Portugal! Jewel of Western Europe!

Crystal clear ocean, golden beaches, and a nature so beautiful you can not take your eyes away. Safe from Crimson attacks thanks to stationary defense platforms provided by L.U.Z INC.]

Olivia turned to the other side of the brochure. "L.U.Z, so tomorrow can stay bright." She put away the brochure. "Sounds catchy."

I sneered. "L.U.Z marketing team sure made it sound like they weren’t the ones divide the country in half."

Olivia shrugged. "It is not like they caused a civil war or anything. We flew above government territory as well. It is no surprise people choose them, and L.U.Z aligned deputies over pro-government ones."

I wagged my finger. "Now, now, let's not get distracted by the cover. One must dive deeper into recent politics and the country's current situation to understand the truth behind L.U.Z’s expansion."

Olivia walked past me. "I am interested in the history and geopolitics of this country as much as the next person, but let's focus on our mission so we can have some spare time to enjoy this heavenly sun!"

I hastened my steps to catch on to her. “Well, I like that too. Now, a reminder. Today, our mission is to catch Phoenix. He works as a vigilante in Portugal, around our age.”

“Did you bring anything for that? Like armor or robots.” Olivia asked.

“Since the L.U.Z side causes problems when I try to bring military equipment, I sent a battlearmor to a pro-government military base with a train. It took some bribery and a call or two, but it should have arrived three hours ago.”

The current situation in Portugal is chaotic. Asylum seekers from South America already cause an overpopulation problem after the Rainforest crisis of the ’70s. And there are also problems caused by Leviathan class* amphibian Crimsons terrorizing ports and seaside settlements.

L.U.Z, the world's third largest company, used its massive economic power to control ministers and assembly. Then, by providing better living conditions, cheaper living expenses, and modern infrastructure compared to the government in the debt crisis, the company gained public support.

After exiting the airport, we took a taxi and arrived at the military base.

"Sunshine, seafood, and ocean. So, what type of rascal causes us to spend our day looking for them instead of enjoying a seaside picnic." Olivia said while spinning on an office chair.

"Look it for yourself." I threw a Holo-tablet at her. She grabbed it mid-air using a tentacle.

[ Name; Marco ******* *****]

Age: 16 (Sixteen)

Height: 181 centimeters

Eye Color: Yellow

Hair Color: Black

Ability: Advanced pyromancy.

 While details and limits were unknown, records of fighting against crime in government and L.U.Z territories for the last six years showed that he had a high growth potential. 

Side note: experienced but in need of training to become a professional.]

Olivia put the tablet away. "A pyromancer. Want me to catch him? It won’t be hard." She said confidently.

"No, intervene if absolutely necessary." I got up, moved close to a large wooden crate, and opened it using a crowbar, revealing my weapon. A newer version of the battlearmor I used against Alice of Crusaders. "It's important to leave a good first impression, so I upgraded to be faster and more maneuverable in the air.”

"Alrighty. So, what are we doing now? I hope you are not planning on flying around with that thing and searching for your target."

"No, but can you go grab something cold for us? We will have to wait." I pulled out an old radio. “I got my hands on a police radio. We will wait until he appears, then go out.”

***

**

*

It was afternoon, but the streets were empty. Sirens of abandoned police vehicles, some burned, some melted, echoed through the neighborhood.

 A small-time criminal group known as ElemantalBrothers recently escaped prison and immediately went to work after seeing a money transport truck.

"Be careful, broccoli head." The second oldest brother said while glaring at his youngest brother, who was struggling to melt open the security door with his acid. “If we lose any money, I am tearing out your hair string by string.” 

"I am trying." The youngest brother shouted. His struggle affected his voice. "That damned thing just won't open!"

"Here, let me try." Another character joined them, a teenager around 177 cm tall. He had brown hair with orange, yellow, and red highlights.

"Yeah, but... Wait!" One of the brothers recognized the kid. Their, only according to them, nemesis, Phoenix.

Phoenix winked at the criminal before punching him in the face.

He followed his attack by creating two wings made out of fire on his back. "Took you long enough, idiots." He immediately lunged at the green brother, leaving a fiery trail on his behind, and knocked down the green brother with just one strike. "You guys never get your lessons, don't you?" Then Phoenix flew up and landed on the blue brother after a flamboyant roll in the air.

 All of the criminal brothers got defeated by a kid in mere seconds.

Phoenix began counting. "Well, I already handled that tomato brain before jumping on them. Now, considering their biggest bro pebble brains is still in jail, blue, green, and yellow makes it three, so that is all." Phoenix dusted his hands and prepared himself to take off until he heard a loud clapping coming.

A battlearmor with the UDC logo on its chest entered the street. “Now, that was a show I am glad I watched in person. How long was that? Ten seconds or something? And all villains are taken down with minimal environmental damage."

Behind the battlearmor was a tall girl covered in scars, drinking iced coffee, giving zero care to everything around.

Phoenix thought of them as trouble and took off without answering.

***

**

*

"What a rude guy." I looked at my sister. She watched Phoenix fly away with the glare of a predator locked on its target.

"Too slow, too sloppy. Are you sure you don't want me to catch that bird? It will take around one minute to catch him and half a minute to bring him back."

I started battle armor’s engines. “No, I must prove myself. Just as I said, only intervene if necessary.”

She took a big sip. “Whatever you say. Just don’t get hurt before I finish my coffee.”

My armor beeped only a second later. "Bingo! You can't hide with such heat trace."

After a low flight through several streets to hide my presence, I finally closed the distance between Phoenix and me.

"Hey, birdie, I suggest you stop, or I might need to apply more primitive methods of communication."

Phoenix stopped and landed on the roof of a long building. "First, L.U.Z, then UDC. Why don't you people just let me be!" Flames on his wings covered his body. "Alright, if you want me so much, here I am!”

I didn’t know what kind of superhero fantasy this kid lived here, but if UDC wanted him out, he wouldn't even know when he died. "Amigo, I don't care what L.U.Z wants from you. I am here to offer a deal."

Phoenix opened his wings and lunged toward me. Armor absorbed the damage yet got pushed back.

"I don't want offers 'Amigo' I am not in the mood for listening to people. I have a city to protect, and you are risking the lives of the innocent and your metal ass by messing with me."

What is wrong with this kid? "It appears to be I should apply on these primitive ways."

[Maximize thrust] I dashed to Phoenix. He tried to dodge my charge, but I managed to grab him by his left leg and slammed him to the roof.

I pressed him down to stop him from escaping.

"Phoenix, I want you to listen to me. My offer will give you a better chance of defending what you love.”

"I don't fucking care!" His flames grew more powerful, and with a mighty fire wave, he pushed me away. "Look, buddy! I didn't want to hurt you, but you forced me to do this."

Phoenix charged me again and knocked me out from the building roof, then grabbed my armor in the air and dived toward the ground for a slam attack.

I activated the thrusters of my armor and stopped our free diving. "Look, 'buddy’' I am over with your childish games. You are not the hero, so stop acting like you are."

I punched Phoenix in the stomach and stunned him. "You will thank me for this in the future." I threw him to the ground and began diving after him.

Phoenix managed to slow himself last second but still hit the ground hard. After a second of rest, he saw me diving right toward him. He raised his arms to the air with the hope of stopping me.

I hit the ground and shattered the concrete on the floor. Scattered pieces made cuts on Phoenix's face.

Yet he began shouting again. "I don't care if you ever kill me. I will not negotiate!" Where does he even get that much energy?

"You need to listen to me." I tried my chance once again.

"Fuck you, fuck L.U.Z! I will never negotiate WITH ANYONE!"

Ah, the things I endure for a team. "Alright, you superhero wanna be. Let me talk in a language you would understand." I grabbed him by his neck and slammed him towards a wall. "Day by day, L.U.Z gains more control, company purposely sabotages prisons and releases criminals on government territory, they use bureaucracy and legal loopholes to slow development in government territory, they control the flow of food and basic necessities, and you, you couldn’t even beat me.."

He finally stopped shouting. “I know I am not strong enough, but I will overcome it!.” He was struggling to free himself.

I released my grip and got out of my armor. Phoenix looked at me with confused eyes as I offered him a contract and a pen. "I know. I saw your potential, but strength alone won’t be enough to take down a giant. Sign this contract, and follow me to Horizon. I can offer you a home, pocket money, and a guarantee of field experience, and I will promise you I will help you stop L.U.Z."

Phoenix glared. “And what makes you think you can help?”

“That you will learn if you only accept my terms.”

He looked at the contract and read a small portion of it. "But, why me? Why did UDC choose me? I stopped my education after primary school."

I smiled. "No, UDC was too blind to see your potential. It was I who found you. You see, I am a greedy bastard. When I see power, I fail to hold myself from getting it."

"Your words are canny," Phoenix said with a somewhat distressed tone. 

"Sorry, but I prefer truth. You are a diamond in the rough, and I can process you, that's all."

“Do you go such ways to convince people all the time?” He asked while reading the rest of the contract.

“Usually, power is not easy to get. You must take risks.”

He smirked. “Like how you trusted me listening to you when you took that armor off.”

“Oh, about that.” I pointed towards the street entrance, where Olivia was quietly watching us. “I put my trust in her, not you.”

“When?” Phoenix asked in confusion.

“Half a minute before you two started brawling at the rooftops,” Olivia answered.

Phoenix opened his mouth but closed it before saying anything. 

He then signed the contract. “You know what, I will forget about that. Now, entering this Horizon school, like even I know its name, so how do you plan on putting an orphan with almost no educational background in there?” 

"I know people in high places, really high places."

“How high-

Suddenly, red and blue lights covered the surroundings as a heavily armored L.U.Z law enforcement team circled us.

“Hands up!” An officer wearing an exoskeleton shouted while aiming his issued rifle toward me.

I looked around. “Oh, did we get into L.U.Z territory already? Well, I should have noticed that when I saw new buildings.” I turned to Phoenix. His wings were out, ready to flee at the first opportunity. “Hey,” I touched his shoulder. “Fleeing the scene might get you wounded. Just stay with me.”

I turned my back to a wall and raised my hands. Olivia followed me. “I suppose we have some sort of misunderstanding, officer.”

“A military equipment in the civilian occupied zone. I don’t think we have a misunderstanding.” He moved closer and slammed me to the wall.

Olivia almost leashed out, but I stopped her. “Just comply for now.” I whistled.

With that, they took three of us to their headquarters and threw us into a cell.

“I thought you were going to handle this!” Phoenix shouted.

“He will,” Olivia said while smiling mischievously. “He is just playing with his food.”

“Ha, you are talking like I am a cruel carnivore, dear sister,” I said while dusting my clothes.

Phoenix, clearly confused, sat down and began thinking out loud. “Alright, I can break out of this place. It can't be hard, just several heat-resistant blast doors and hundreds of armed security personnel.” He began laughing nervously. “What could go wrong?”

After some waiting, a man in his late thirties entered the cell with a dozen armed guards waiting behind him.

“Head officer, ” Phoenix said with a very hostile tone. He looked ready to lash out and kill the man at any moment.

“Look at that.” The head officer shouted. I sensed a hint of happiness in his voice. “That damned flying pest is now all caged up.” He then turned to us. “And who you two brats are.”

I got up and offered him my hand. “Leonard Clock.”

“Huh? You took that seriously. Move away. I don’t have business with you.” He moved past me and purposefully bumped his shoulder to my chest. 

“Hey,” I called him.

“What!” He suddenly turned to me. 

“Didn’t your parents teach you any ethics?”

The head officer started laughing. “What a brave bastard. I hope you have a good reason for this little show, or else I will break every bone in your body.“

“Just one, never, and never, use full body exosuits without anyone around to open it manually.” [Exosuits, emergency lockdown.] With my command, armored guards' exosuits locked them in their place, stopping them from even moving a finger. “Like this. Sister.”

Olivia sent three tentacles made of black mist and slammed the man to the ground.

I picked up his phone from his pocket and dialed someone. “Hello, I need a favor.”

***

**

*

Thirty minutes later, the entire area was flooded with armored guards. Olivia blocked them by creating walls.

Phoenix became even more anxious.

Then suddenly. “Mister Leonard. I have arrived, please!”

Olivia looked at me. “Do I let this one in?”

I nodded.

Olivia recalled all of her mist. When her wall disappeared, all guards previously present in the area, except the ones I shut down their exosuits, were gone. Only a bald man in a suit was waiting. He looked nervous.

“Oh, thank you. I am sorry for the inconvenience our guys caused.” He offered his hand.

I shook his hands. “They were just doing their job, even though the quality and discipline were abysmal. What makes the UDC logo so meaningless around here.”

“Director! What is the meaning of this.” The head officer shouted.

The director glared at the man. “You don’t even dare to get up.” He then turned to me. “How sorry I am for what my underlings caused. Of course, it wasn't in our intention to undermine UDC's authority. I heard about you from the Chancellor and immediately got here with a helicopter.”

Chancellor's name confused and scared both Phoenix and the head officer.

“Now, it is about time you release us, and I also want my equipment back.”

“Immediately! Just follow me. But about that bird, you see, we need some paperwork with him.”

I put my hands on the director's shoulder. “Of course, formality is important. I would also fill a large file about our and other people's kind treatment here. The Court of Human Rights and thousands of journalists will enjoy inspecting how well you treat people here. L.U.Z's chairman might even reward you with early retirement for this.”

“Oh, I was just joking with that one. You, get out of the way.” The director pushed the head officer away and escorted us out of the cell.

The head officer glared at us with hateful eyes.

“Just who are you,” Phoenix asked when we got out. He was terrified rather than confused about the situation.

“Someone who knows lots of people and can call for lots of favors. Like this one here. But such a display of power costs me a lot. So, work hard under me when you come to Horizon.”

He nodded. “I will. If I can get one shot of helping my people, I will put my life on the line.”

“Good,” Olivia said. “Go to the government military outpost outside the town three days later. A vehicle there will bring you and your belongings to a UDC facility for your stay until the start of school. They will provide you a room, food, and necessary basic education for school.”