Elius narrowed his eyes as he pressed the accept button on his communicator.
The call connected with a soft, mechanical beep that vanished into the endless stretch of the night sky above him.
A slightly coarse, aged woman's voice came through the device, laced with an unmistakable authority.
"Elius Northrim. This is Hero Invasion Hall Administration," she said, her words crisp, each syllable sharpened by years of experience.
"We are contacting you regarding an individual you listed in your background check. A Keith Northrim. Are you aware of this individual's current situation?"
Elius froze for a moment before answering. "...He's my half-brother." His voice was steady, but internally, a thousand alarms were blaring.
He hadn't heard anything about Keith since coming into this world.
He had assumed—no, hoped—that Keith was still alive and not dead.
If alive, he was on the right path, still alive, still striving toward the destiny the original comic had laid out.
