She slipped from his grip, plummeting toward the ground.
Spectra watched her fall, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"If this was a show, and they gave me a cliffhanger where the villain's about to say something important—"he shook his head,"I'd be crashing out."
As he kept his eyes on her descent, a chill crept up his spine. He sensed someone behind him.
"Ugh… was that just the wind?" he muttered.
"No," came a voice. "Behind you."
Spectra spun around instantly. His eyes widened."WHO ARE YOU—PRINCIPAL VANQUEZ?!" he shouted.
The man gave a slight nod. "Well, you passed our test."
Spectra narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, 'passed your test'?"He stepped back into a fighting stance.
"Whoa, whoa—no need to throw punches, kid," the man said, raising both hands in surrender.
"Who are you?" Spectra snapped.
"Your principal," the man answered calmly.
Spectra narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, not buying it. You could be some kind of shape-shifting mutant."
"H… A… M… Z… A… wasn't it?" Vanquez said with a faint smirk.
Spectra blinked. "Oh, s###. You actually know me." He lowered his fists slightly. "And for the record, it's Hamza say it together. This ain't a spelling bee."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Vanquez said with a shrug. Then his tone shifted. "Look, we're with the Light Syndicates. Relax—we're not the villains here."
He nodded toward the unconscious woman."I'm guessing that's Soraya Voss, right?"
"YOU'RE TELLING ME THE MOST UNFUNNY PERSON IN THE WORLD IS A MUTANT?!" Ali shouted through the earpiece.
"Ouch! Dude, chill!" Spectra winced, pressing a hand to his ear. "I might be invincible, but not when it comes to getting my eardrums blasted!"
Principal Vanquez raised an eyebrow, watching them argue. "Uhhhh… hey, Spectra? … SPECTRA!"
Spectra blinked and looked up. "Oh—sorry, Principal. That was a, uh… never mind."
Vanquez nodded. "Look, you're invited to join the Light Syndicates."
"Uhhh… why?" Spectra asked, confused.
"There are a lot of reasons," Vanquez said, folding his arms. "But let's start with the main one: the explosion in Miami. You took that terrorist with the explosive suit into the sky. You tanked the blast—tried to sacrifice yourself to save everyone."
Spectra slowly ran a hand through his hair, the weight of the memory pressing down on him. "Oh… yeah. Uh… thanks."
He looked away, the guilt eating at him—because deep down, he knew he was the real reason that explosion ever happened in the first place.
"Well, uh… you wanna join?" Vanquez asked, shifting Vire over his back with a grunt.
"I'll join—temporarily," Spectra replied, his tone cautious.
"Then you should meet the team," Vanquez said, extending his hand for a handshake.
Spectra hesitated for a second, then took it. "Okay…"
The moment their hands touched, a bright pulse of light flashed—and in an instant, Spectra vanished.
He reappeared in a sleek, high-tech facility, the hum of machinery and faint echoes filling the air.
"Uhhh…" Spectra looked around, eyes wide as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The facility buzzed with quiet energy—metal walls, glowing panels, and distant voices.
"Oh," he muttered, finally noticing the group of people standing ahead.
"I actually teleported us here," Vanquez said casually, stepping beside him. "And this… is the team."
Spectra's eyes scanned the group. There were five of them—each distinct, each radiating a different kind of power.
The first stepped forward—tall, broad-shouldered, his skin gleaming like bronze metal under the lights. A soft mechanical hum followed him as tiny drones floated around his arms.
"This is R," Vanquez introduced. "Our tech specialist. He can build anything from scratch—even weapons mid-battle."
Next was a girl with short silver hair and violet eyes that shimmered like stars. She hovered slightly above the ground, her presence both calm and unsettling.
"Nova. She manipulates gravity. Don't get on her bad side—unless you want to float into the stratosphere."
A boy leaned casually against the wall, flipping a coin between his fingers, each spark of movement crackling with electricity.
"That's Speed. Fast, cocky, and constantly charged up. He's lightning on legs."
Then came a silent figure in a long, tattered cloak. A smooth black mask hid his face, and shadows seemed to cling to him like loyal pets.
"Void," Vanquez said simply. "No one really knows what he does, but he always shows up when things are about to go sideways."
Spectra tilted his head. "Then... why is he here right now? Actually—never mind. Keep going."
Last was a man dressed in full combat gear, arms crossed, a permanent scowl on his face. His eyes scanned the room with razor precision.
"That's Strateg. The team's brain during battles. Doesn't talk much—but if he does? Listen."
Vanquez turned to Spectra. "They're the Light Syndicates. And now—for however long—you're one of them."
Spectra scanned the team, then threw his hands up dramatically. "Okay, so you're telling me there are seven of you—three tanks, four duelists... and not one healer? Seriously? Guys, we need a support role or we're all gonna die horribly. We—I mean y'all." He pointed at each of them in mock disappointment.
Vanquez let out a dry, sarcastic laugh as he gently set Vire down on the floor."Haha... very funny. Now come on, open the door."
Spectra raised an eyebrow but obeyed. As he pulled the heavy doors open, his eyes widened.
Before him stretched a high-tech village—clean buildings with glowing energy lines, drones gliding through the air, mutant children playing freely. The entire facility rested on a lush, isolated island surrounded by ocean.
"Ooohhh... I get it now," Spectra said, nodding slowly. "This place is for mutants, huh? So that means you guys are the leaders and the—"
Vanquez interrupted sharply, "No. We were chosen by the government. This island is a sanctuary. A place where mutants live in harmony—safe from threats on the outside."
Spectra folded his arms, raising an eyebrow."Sooo... the government made a big mistake not putting any healers here." He glanced at the team. "I mean seriously, y'all aren't gonna survive long if someone gets blasted and there's no one to patch them up. What's the plan? Rub some dirt on it and hope for the best?"
A few team members exchanged amused glances. Vanquez just sighed. "We can add people.."
"Then add a support," Spectra said, pointing at him like it was obvious. "Preferably someone who can heal without yelling"
"Ay ay, Captain," Vanquez muttered with a sigh, walking off.
"You're annoying," Nova said flatly, arms crossed.
Spectra smirked. "Unlucky for you, I can fly. Which means I control my own gravity. Which also means your little tricks won't work on me."
"Oh yeah?" Nova raised an eyebrow. "Then try this."
She snapped her fingers—and suddenly, gravity around Spectra increased tenfold. The ground cracked beneath him with a faint thud.
"Pfft," he said, standing firm, unfazed. "What is this? A warm-up?"
Nova narrowed her eyes. "It's on."
The gravity intensified again. Then again. Spectra finally dropped to one knee, straining.
"You win," he grunted. "Happy now?"
"Knock it off!" R barked from across the courtyard. "I literally built this place. You two are seconds away from wrecking it."
Nova just hummed and turned away.
Behind them, a groggy voice mumbled, "What... is going on?"
Vire slowly sat up, blinking.
"Joined the team," Spectra said casually.
"Whaaat?" Vire blinked harder, clearly still trying to process everything.
"Hmph," Nova groaned and walked off.
"I swear, I feel like I'm in a movie," Ali's voice chimed in through the earpiece.
"Yeah. Lucky you," Spectra replied with a smirk.
Just then, a hand reached down toward him. Strateg stood silently, offering help.
"Need a hand?" he asked.
"Thanks," Spectra said, gripping it and pulling himself up.
"Oh, yeah. I've got a lot of questions for you." Spectra turned toward Vire with an intense stare. "Not you, Strateg, I'm talking to you, Vire…"
He paused, narrowing his eyes.
"Or should I say... Soraya Voss?" He let the name hang in the air for a moment, letting it settle.
Vire stiffened slightly, but didn't speak.
Spectra took a step forward, his voice rising. "Why the hell are you and Principal Vanquez at my school? No, no, no—" He waved his hands, pacing slightly. "why are you even at my school? And then you drop this whole 'I know your identity' line like I'm supposed to just be fine with that?" Spectra raised his hands in disbelief. "You know how freaked out I WAS!?"
She laughed. "Talking about that... let's talk about Sofia."
"I'll kill you," Spectra said, staring her dead in the eyes. "You said what stays in the conversation stays in the conversation."
"Well, you're the one who started talking about it," she shot back casually.Strateg glanced at both of them, shook his head, and walked off, minding his own business.
"At least I didn't lose that 1v1," Spectra smirked.
"Let's run it back then." Her hands flared with fire. "You're on. Meet me in the sky."
He leapt out the window, flying upward. She followed.
"You know I'm not following you for too long," she called back.
"Yeah? Remind me what happened last time you followed me?"
"I will burn you," she growled.
Spectra grinned, then did a terrible impression of her voice. "I guess you could say I'm a bit of a nerd." He laughed.
"Nerd my ass. You couldn't even figure out what I was planning. Everyone knows the higher you fly, the less oxygen there is. And guess what fire needs?"
He looked back at her with a wink. "Hope your flames packed a parachute because I ain't catching you next time."
As he looked around, his eyes caught something—a small meteor blazing through the sky toward the island.
"LET'S STOP," Spectra called out urgently.
"Nuh uh," she replied without slowing down.
"LOOK AT THE ISLAND!" he shouted, pointing.
Her eyes followed his hand."Holy sh—" she gasped, then darted toward the meteor at full speed.
It slammed into a house just as the area was being evacuated.
Spectra touched down, eyes sweeping the area for signs of injury. He took off again, scanning the skies and streets for wounded mutants.
Meanwhile, Vire hovered near the meteor, cautiously inspecting it. It cracked open.
A strange creature emerged, speaking in a foreign, guttural language.
"Uhhh..." Vire muttered as the creature advanced.
Just as it reached for her, she struck—her fist igniting in flames as she drove it into the creature's chest.
The ground shattered beneath it. The impact launched the creature back, slamming it into the dirt. Its head snapped backward, hitting a wall. For a second, it stood frozen—then its head slowly rotated back toward her, eyes locked.
The ground cracked violently beneath the creature. The force of the blow hurled it backward, slamming it into the earth. Its head snapped against a nearby wall. For a moment, it stood completely still—then, slowly, its head rotated back toward her, eyes fixed with chilling focus.
"I didn't want to do this… but you've left me no choice, Earthling," it growled.
From behind its back, it drew a metallic staff and activated it. A glowing blade of energy ignited from the tip, humming with lethal power.
"Is that… a lightsaber?!" she exclaimed.
He didn't respond. Instead, he took a step forward.
"I hail from the planet Talan. My name is Zer'An Shar'dek—but you may call me Shard. Consider it an honor… to fall by the edge of my weapon."
"Okay, first of all—how are you even speaking my language? And what's the plan here? Invade the planet or something?" she snapped.
"Invade? No, no," he replied with a slight tilt of his head. "And I'm using a translator."
"Then why didn't you just say that instead of creeping up on me like a weirdo?" she said, arms crossed.
He ignored her tone and spoke with grim resolve. "I'm here because there's a trespasser on this planet. He's dangerous—and I'm authorized to eliminate him if necessary."
"Who is he?" she asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"He's still unidentified," Shard replied. "But my scanner can track him. I've been chasing him across the stars for four Earth years… ever since the energy shockwave."
As he finished, the air around them thickened. Shard stumbled slightly, his muscles tensing. "What…? The gravity—it's spiking!"
A sharp voice cut through the rising tension. "Who is that?" Nova stepped out from behind Vire, the Light Syndicates at her sides. Her presence was commanding, her power undeniable.
"He's not a threat," Vire said quickly, never taking her eyes off Shard.
Then, from above, a voice rang out as Spectra landed hard beside them. "What the hell is going on here?"
He scanned the area swiftly, his voice steadying. "I checked the entire zone—no injured mutants, no casualties."
Nova glared at Shard for a long moment, then released her gravitational hold. The pressure around them lifted.
Shard didn't hesitate. The instant he felt the shift, he lunged. With explosive speed, he tackled Spectra from behind and hurled him like a ragdoll through the air.
"I'VE BEEN HUNTING YOU FOR FOUR EARTH YEARS—AND NOW YOU STAND BEFORE ME!" he roared.
Spectra smashed into the side of a building, debris exploding around him. Before he could get his bearings, Shard was already on him. He slammed Spectra into the wall and unleashed a relentless storm of punches.
"What the—" Spectra gasped, but Shard's fist silenced him, blow after blow crashing into his body with unrelenting fury.
Nova, regaining her footing, raised her hand again. Gravity surged.
Shard didn't even flinch.
"I'VE ENDURED WORLDS WITH GRAVITY TEN TIMES STRONGER THAN THIS PATHETIC ROCK!" he shouted.
He raised his hand toward Nova—and fired. A concentrated beam of light blasted from his palm, striking her square in the chest. She cried out and collapsed, unconscious.
"Nova!" the team shouted in horror.
Shard stood over Spectra, who was pinned against the crumbling side of a building that leaned dangerously into the ground, its structure groaning under the strain. Dust and debris floated through the air.
Without turning his head, Shard extended his hand behind him.
his sword trembled—then ripped free with a surge of magnetic force. The weapon soared through the air, slicing the wind as it flew straight into Shard's waiting grip.
He caught it effortlessly and raised it high, preparing to drive it down.
Just then, Vanquez touched Void.
In an instant, they teleported—reappearing right in front of Shard at the exact moment the blade came down.
Void stepped in.
His cloak, like a swirling abyss, expanded in front of Shard—and the sword plunged into it.
Straight through.
"What the—!?" Shard snapped, blinking as his weapon disappeared into the black shroud.
Void's hand shot out and clamped onto Shard's wrist. With one swift motion, he twisted and disarmed him.
The sword didn't fall.
It simply vanished—swallowed completely by the void.
Never to return.
Suddenly, Spectra launched a brutal kick straight into Shard's stomach.
Shard flew back, crashing through broken chunks of concrete as he went airborne. Spectra watched him sail through the air and muttered coldly, "Thanks."
He turned his eyes toward the flying body. "He's mine now."
Without hesitation, Spectra ignited into a streak of energy, shooting forward and closing the distance. Mid-air, he grabbed hold of Shard's alien suit, yanking him back down with raw force—then rocketed upward again, dragging him into the sky.
Still gripping him by the suit, Spectra shouted in frustration, "What did I do to deserve getting punched in the face multiple times!?"
Shard, despite the turbulence, met his eyes calmly. "You're a trespasser."
Spectra's brow twitched. "What do you mean I'm a trespasser!?" He gestured around wildly, voice rising. "We're literally in the middle of the ocean! There's nothing here to trespass on!"
As Spectra shouted, Shard's visor lit up—flashing red.
⏃⟒⊑⌰ ⍝⟟⏁⏃ "Kra'dul Mezzkai"
Before Spectra could speak again, Shard's emergency protocol kicked in. A sharp pulse of light surged from his chest, and with a crackle of alien code—
He vanished.
Spectra's hand grasped at empty air as he hovered alone, mid-sky, the wind howling around him.
"…Seriously?" he muttered.
Meanwhile...In a dimly lit lab, Dr. Walks stands surrounded by several humanoid robots—each one an identical replica of himself.
He peers into a microscope, narrowing his eyes."Hmmm..." he mutters, studying a small sample of blood beneath the lens."He's still in stable condition... Even without a body, the dead cells in his blood are regenerating. That's quite interesting."
He picks up a worn notebook and begins scribbling notes, the pen gliding quickly across the paper as his expression hardens.
TBC