Thunder boomed as I filled the hole containing one of the last seismic sensors. By now, they would be picking up and transmitting enough data to tell where the Walkers were at all times. The mission was almost complete and I would be able to return to my workshop.

I reflected on the thrill I felt during my encounter with The ECU. It was a little concerning that getting into a potentially lethal fight didn't fill me with unending dread anymore. I couldn't pin down when the change occurred but I had started to notice it when I took down Grim. I was starting to view opposition as a challenge, and I needed to start checking myself. If I was perfectly honest, part of why I came out tonight was chasing the thrill. We could have had Cyberspace send some people out to do this disguised tomorrow, but I'd pushed hard to do it now.

I took solace in the fact that I wasn't a raving lunatic. When I encountered The ECU I didn't try to fight them. Like I had said to Copycat when he tried to trick me with his disguise, as long as they didn't give me a reason to come at them, I wouldn't. As it stands I would continue as I had been, developing my projects so I could eventually fix Mom and kill Mirage.

After that… well, I suppose I would slip out from under Cyberspace's thumb. I was under no illusion that they were a misunderstood benevolent force secretly wanting the best for humanity. They had their own goals, and if I was honest, I didn't want any part in it. For now, our partnership was convenient and they didn't have us doing anything that I really objected to. I suspected that would only last for so long, so I needed to prepare for the split ahead of time.

One thing was for sure, Cyberspace made it very clear that I was too valuable to lose.

As I turned to leave, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my eyelids twitched at a strange sensation flowing through my body. The only way I could describe it was pins and needles that started from the base of my neck and made its way down my body. It came and went in a few seconds, but it had me on alert.

There was only one person in the city capable of doing something like this.

Once I had turned, I found the culprit standing at the entrance to the alley with an umbrella.

I clicked my tongue.

"Bit late for a walk."

Gaea approached without a care in the world. She wore a long dress with a fur coat and boots. Beneath the umbrella, her hair was done up nicely and she looked like she was returning home from a nice night out.

"One notable victory and you think you can galavant about, doing whatever you want," Gaea said with an exasperated sigh. " Did you really think I wouldn't notice you sneaking through my territory? I felt you the moment you entered this street."

"I was under the impression we are allies."

She stopped just close enough to reach out and touch me.

"Allies?" Gaea scoffed. "Your subservience to Cyberspace does not mean we are allies, child. I tolerate your existence in my city, no more no less. My agreement with your superior is that we would stay out of one another's business unless there is a problem we must deal with."

"Ajax's war machines are a problem for the whole city. I'd consider those a problem, wouldn't you?"

Despite her words, I didn't sense any hostility in her tone. If anything, she seemed like she was looking for an excuse to speak. Cyberspace said they were in contact with Gaea, so there was no way they didn't know what I was doing.

"Ajax is not a threat to me or my subordinates," Gaea dismissed easily.

"I never said they were a threat to you," I crossed my arms and disabled my camouflage. There was no point wasting the power I had left. Gaea could sense me and if she wanted me dead, there was nothing I could do. "The longer Ajax occupies the city uncontested, the more legitimacy you lose. It'd be even worse if you didn't spearhead the effort to remove him."

Gaea let out an amused laugh that lightened the atmosphere.

"I used to be just like you, thinking only in terms of violence and force," Gaea mused with a smile. "Ajax's presence isn't contested by the population. His machines have not killed anyone and give them a sense of security after Grim's rampage. No, working against Ajax would send the message I am opposed to him, and that if given power I may bring him to our doorstep in a much more hostile manner. I'm much better served healing victims of the attack and helping those Splicer experimented on. Now, my name is mentioned alongside his instead of in opposition to it. You will get no aid from me in your mission to remove him." Gaea gave me a curious look. "Though I do have to give you credit, that's much more political awareness than I'd expected from you given your behaviour at the conference. I was sorely tempted to slaughter you all that day."

I had to ask.

"Why didn't you?"

"Who else would have dealt with Grim? I had already tried years before the man decided to come here to my country. I was no more successful at killing him than he was at killing me," Gaea rolled her eyes. "I often wonder what part of that demented head of his decided that coming to my country would end well for him. Perhaps he did it to spite me, or maybe he was waiting for his opportunity to even the score."

I narrowed my eyes. "You two had history?"

"Barely worth mentioning, we came to a stalemate and that was it. What matters is he is gone now, and you were part of the reason why," Gaea's smile turned sickly sweet. "Madhouse… it's all I ever hear about nowadays. You four have this city on the edge of their seats. Will you be like The Cains? My organization? Perhaps… you'll become more like Pandora?"

I scowled.

"You should already know what we're about."

"Your allegiance to Cyberspace definitely gives me some insight, but that hasn't stopped the rest of the city from wondering. I'm surprised you haven't noticed – a Mechakineitc of your caliber hasn't even noticed what the public has been saying about them online. You should be embarrassed."

Gaea's laugh sent chills down my spine. I knew she could turn my whole body to dust at the drop of a hat, but she had to know she wasn't safe either. I was sorely tempted to launch a grenade at her, but I had to remind myself that Gaea was one of the Trinity, the legendary three supers from the first wave of Awakenings.

The Mountain, Gaea, and Foresight.

They survived World War Three. They survived a world where supers died young, and lived long enough to create legends about themselves, whether they intended to or not.

Now here she was, standing in front of me like I wasn't an immediate threat to her life. There was a small part of me that wondered if a mechatech grenade would even be enough to kill her. She was an S-Class biokinetic and there was no telling what kind of enhancements she had.

It wasn't a fight worth pursuing.

"Scrolling through forums and social media isn't a productive use of my time. Though color me surprised, I never pictured you as the type to engage with anything online," I replied wryly. "I figured you'd have been stopped by the captcha."

"Hilarious," Gaea's reply sounded almost clinical. "Can't say many have had the gall push that button in a while."

"A willingness to alter one's appearance implies some level of vanity, maybe even insecurity. I might just be a kid, but even I can see that," I shot back. "Look, we can trade insults back and forth all night Gaea, but if you wanted to harm me, you would have done it already. So, what do you want?"

Gaea's expression stretched into a chilling smile.

"I'm here to satiate my curiosity."

"I've heard that kills people."

"Not for me, I assure you. Thousands have tried," she said with a smile. "I don't often play these games, my efforts are better focused on the big picture. Talent scouting is beneath me."

"You can't be serious," I laughed. "You've come in person to recruit me to The Queen's Court," I took pleasure in watching her head tilt, but the smile never left her face. "Y'know, it's kind of funny. A month ago, I would have considered it. The people around me aren't exactly a fan of your political agenda but out of everyone in the city, I think shacking up with you would have been the easiest pill to swallow. If nothing else, Alice would have enjoyed playing politics."

"Oh? You're not enticed by the benefits Pandora can offer? Not a fan of The ECU?"

"Pandora's full of crazies and I have bad blood with the ECU," I rolled my shoulders before shrugging. "No offense, but we aren't friends so I'm not going to spill the tea."

"I doubt I would be interested in listening," Gaea retorted evenly. I watched carefully as she moved, stepping to the side as a small trunk of wood burrowed through the ground next to her. It sprouted and grew until it cocooned us. I let it happen, waiting for any intrusions into my suit to occur. I would be ready to lash out if she attacked. "Let's make ourselves more comfortable. This weather is dreadful."

Two wooden chairs sprouted for us and a small glowing light dangled from the ceiling, reminiscent of a glow worm. Gaea took a seat and gestured for me to sit.

"Like I said, I came to sate my curiosity. I will admit, I did not much care for you or your little entourage at first. I only extended the invitation out of courtesy. You were the ones to reveal Grim's operation with The Iron Maiden, so I thought it only right that you had a seat at the table. Age and maturity aside," Gaea dismissed with a light wave of her hand. "I was much more interested in your companion, Mia Coleman."

My blood froze.

"You know our names?"

"Mia Coleman, Liam Bailey, and Samantha Leighton – or Caitlyn Whiterose… Yes, I know the names of your team," Gaea said with clear disinterest. "Cyberspace shared this information with me. They expressed an intense desire that your civilian lives not be interfered with," the corner of her mouth curled downward into a slight snarl. "I suspect you've already spotted the inconsistency?"

I thought for a moment, recounting everything she just said.

"You never said my name."

"Now, isn't that interesting?" Gaea breathed, leaning forward. "I didn't even have to ask for the others. You, however… they've been very tight lipped about you," she shook her head in amused disbelief. "I've worked with Cyberspace for quite some time and I've never known them to play favorites before. Suffice to say, I had to know. What exactly makes you so special?"

I was reminded of what Sam had said not too long ago – that I was one of the most valuable Supers on the planet. Supers were sought after for power, and while Sam was a supreme example of an Aspect, I was a Mechakinetic. Everything I make would persist long after I died. With the right minds, whatever I made could eventually be replicated without my aid.

We all had the ability to change the world, it was just that I had the better chance at a long term impact and being remembered.

"Potential."

"An obvious answer to a seemingly obvious question," Gaea said. "Everyone saw what you were capable of during your chase with Grim. Your power to break the laws of reality in order to improve or repair is something entire countries would be willing to go to war over. I suppose we should count our blessings there, hm? Cyberspace certainly did their job suppressing crucial details from getting out of the country. If America, China, or the Soviet Union knew all about you, New Elpis would be ripped asunder in a race to capture you."

I was horrified at the idea, but I was unable to stop my ego from swelling at the compliment.

"So that's what this is about? You wanted to beat them all to it, so you're here at the finish line before the race even starts," I leaned back in my chair and gestured to the cocoon around us. "Well done. You caught me."

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"Enough with the goading, Upgrade. Please," Gaea tiredly rolled her eyes. "I am having a conversation with you. It is like you said, if I wanted to kill or kidnap you, I wouldn't be entertaining this conversation."

"Yeah, you would've altered my brain to make me unquestionably loyal to you."

Gaea had the audacity to laugh.

"Perhaps I would be able to in theory, but I never developed the ability. Foresight would out me in an instant. It's only his insistence that I am not capable of such, that people actually trust my supporters. Not that it stops conspiracy theories, but it does mean the rest of the world has no cause to intervene. Besides, I do not need a power to inspire people to my side. Conviction, resolve, and vision are more than enough."

"So, you've come to talk me over to your side. That's a bold strategy," I replied, keeping my cool. As long as this relaxed atmosphere remained, I was convinced Gaea would continue to entertain my banter. "I will forewarn you, I don't have the best track record of listening."

"Well I suppose it's a good thing I am a politician. If there's one thing I've learned how to do over my many years, it's get people to listen."

I weighed my options carefully. The easiest would be to entertain the discussion. Gaea had an angle, and she saw enough value in my powers to approach me directly. I was in no rush to jump ship because as far as I was concerned, the only difference between Cyberspace and Gaea was who held the leash. Worst case, I'd gain more information.

Forcing my way to freedom was more trouble than it was worth, assuming I even could.

"Alright then," I sat up. "Let's talk."

Gaea crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in her chair.

"Let's establish some basic information. As you said before, there are parts of yourself you don't wish to share, so allow me to go first," she paused and cleared her throat. "There are a number of objectives I am working toward, the most publicly known one is securing my rightful leadership over the country. I'll keep this brief because I wager politics interests you very little. I want my country back. This piece of land was intended to be a sanctuary for people like us following the end of World War Three. Time and time again I've watched bureaucrats from all over the world arrive and pervert its intended meaning."

"Why don't you just take it?" I asked. "It's not like anyone could stop you."

"Perhaps I overestimated you earlier," she sighed "Putting aside that I couldn't kill Grim. The ECU would intervene, Ajax would intervene, The Mountain would intervene, Pandora would declare me a heretic and then intervene. I am powerful, but I am not all powerful, I know my limits. With Foresight preventing any election tampering, any progress I make cannot be contested. You were talking about legitimacy before, this is how I gain it. Though apparently creating a thriving ecosystem where we can thrive and giving the country its name is not enough for most people."

"New Elpis…" I murmured aloud. "Real on the nose."

"I don't expect you to sympathize. You're young and information tends to get skewed to fit a more appetizing narrative. Schools don't teach you about the lynchings after the war. How we were discriminated against and hunted in the streets like animals. Dragged out of our beds at night and tortured until our bodies gave out. Burned, dismembered, crucified… all out of fear."

I had no words.

We were taught the history, but that wasn't the one I learned. Evohumans were painted more like heroes, ones like Gaea who helped end the war.

"That's—"

"Outrageous? How, I hear you asking. I can feel all those neurons at work inside your head, the confusion and distrust," Gaea snorted bitterly. "How can such a thing have happened if evohumans are so powerful? Why didn't we fight back? The answer is quite simple: fear. Evohumans were the ones to start the third great war. What we could do was revealed during the various global conflicts, and the devastation it brought caused the people to fear us. There was a stark power imbalance and no one knew how to deal with it. With evohumans, anyone could have the power to upset traditional balance. It was a frightening time, made more so by our historically low numbers."

"So you came here and created this country. A place of new beginnings?"

"To shorten a very long, excruciating story, yes," Gaea replied, wryly. "Global discrimination on such a scale that many felt we were no longer human or had a place on this planet. The Mountain and I sought a solution. A safe haven for all of our kind," she paused, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, if it were only that simple. We would be living in a very different world. We set out to create a paradise, only to be sorely disappointed. What we created eventually became exactly what we were trying to escape."

When she put it that way, it was no wonder The Mountain lived in seclusion. New Elpis wasn't special, Sam even said it herself. There was nothing particularly astonishing to attribute to this country or its cities other than its higher-than-average rate of awakenings. Other than that, It was just another spot of land with more concrete jungles just like the rest of the world.

"It looks like you're still chasing that dream."

"Dreams of a perfect paradise died a long time ago. I've seen more of the world since then. Attitudes have changed, and evohumans are more powerful and numerous than ever before," Gaea explained. "The paradigm is shifting violently once more, and the effects are being felt on a global scale. I'll give Ajax some credit, if it weren't for him, we would have driven ourselves into extinction already."

"You sound very sure of that."

"The Pandora Initiative's violent rise in popularity would have sparked World War Four if Ajax had not intervened. Foresight made many troubling predictions prior to Ajax's arrival, predictions I was privy to. 1989 was a pivotal year," Gaea paused, a look of contemplation forming on her face. "We are on the verge of another, and this one has the potential to be even greater. I intend for New Elpis to be well protected before that happens."

Her tone was foreboding and it made my skin crawl. Gaea spoke like the end times were coming and we only had an unspecified amount of time to prepare.

"Verge of another… what? War?"

"Paradigm shift," Gaea clarified. "Evohumans are stronger and bolder. Awakenings are more frequent and The ECU is having difficulty quelling the anger permeating the world. It is my wish to shield this country from the fallout, but I cannot do it alone."

"You need my help – my power."

"Your contribution would be invaluable, yes. It is too bad Cyberspace and I do not see eye to eye on how to proceed. For the moment, our agreement stands, but we are on a collision course," Gaea said. "Cyberspace wants to ignite the fire and push humanity to its breaking point. Governments would fall and mass anarchy would reign. Only then would they emerge to unite the survivors. One world, one mind, one people."

I stiffened and inhaled sharply.

Was that what Cyberspace wanted?

"How do you know that's their goal?"

"Do you think they've never tried to turn me to their side?" Gaea smiled. "I see their perspective, perhaps even agree with the philosophy, but humanity cannot afford another great war. There are too many wildcards, too many variables. Cyberspace believes the only way forward is to have a single governing entity, an all-powerful authority."

"World domination…" I scowled with clear disbelief. "You're serious? Cyberspace wants to rule the world?"

"Domination implies subjugating the masses against their will. Cyberspace has, to my knowledge, no intention of doing so. They neither have the means, nor the desire to force that outcome. Their goal is to survive the fallout, and establish a system in the aftermath that will unify our kind under a singular purpose."

I waited for Gaea to elaborate.

"...Which is?"

"That, they haven't shared. I can only offer speculation. Evolution, expansion, perhaps their own idea of a utopia… it could be anything."

Suddenly, politics didn't seem so boring. If what she said was true, I was actively aiding a person whose goal was unironically world domination.

"Total unification could never work," I said, shaking my head. On paper, the idea might seem nice but attempts to try always failed. "There's too much… well, everything. Where would you even start? Too much culture, too much creativity, free will. I just… I don't see how something like that could even work. Not now. Not without—" I stopped and chewed my lip.

"The death of billions," Gaea finished for me.

"A reset all the way back to the stone age. It's insane."

"There's already evidence that such an idea could work in theory," Gaea said, playing devil's advocate. "Currently, there is one evohuman alive that is keeping the world in check – preventing ourselves from annihilating one another."

Gaea didn't even need to say the name.

"Ajax."

"If he wanted, Ajax could bring the whole world to heel and no one could do anything to stop him. Not even me," Gaea said wistfully. "His insistence on playing the part of a global peacekeeper cannot last forever. Sooner or later, he's going to slip up… or perhaps be stalemated by another powerful Mechakinetic."

The realization struck me like lightning.

Was that supposed to be me? Was that what Cyberspace had in store for me? Was I their trump card against the world's strongest Super?

"Cyberspace wants Ajax out of the picture."

"And humanity will do the rest, as is our nature," Gaea confirmed.

"What about you?" I asked. "What is it that you want?"

"My country and my people safe," she said earnestly. "I cannot prevent what is coming. I can only prepare for it."

"How very noble of you," I didn't bother to hide my sardonic tone. "You want me to join you so I can help you save New Elpis while the rest of the world burns."

"By all means, continue as you are. I'm confident I can achieve my goals with or without you. Your assistance would smoothen the process for sure, but I am not about to prostrate myself to you in order to secure your aid. I took this opportunity to discuss the benefits we may both receive from a partnership."

Benefits.

What could Gaea give me that Cyberspace couldn't? While I wasn't a fan of Cyberspace's alleged goals, I could still use the resources I currently had at my disposal to undermine them in some way. It would have to be covert, otherwise they would find out. It was a conversation I would need to have with Sam as soon as possible.

"You have something to offer?"

"Something Cyberspace cannot give," Gaea's smile returned with a vengeance. It stretched so impossibly wide across her face that I was convinced she was using her power to do it. "I've recently discovered the final pieces to a puzzle that's long plagued me. Splicer's subjects were a great source of inspiration and curing them was very enlightening. I would've liked to speak to Splicer face to face, but I doubt that's a possibility now."

"If you want any sort of concrete answer from me, I'm going to need to know what it is."

Gaea's laugh was slow and full of amusement.

"You might want to brace yourself. I am told the sensation is… unpleasant."

I barely had a moment to react.

A cold chill swept over me like an arctic breeze, and I shivered violently as something inside of me unraveled.

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"What…?" I gasped. The feeling persisted and my gaze met Gaea.

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Gaea didn't respond, and the sensation intensified from discomfort to outright pain.

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It stopped suddenly, leaving me gasping for air.

I felt weak and nauseous. My eyesight blurred as I tried to focus on Gaea.

"This is the secret Grim pursued. The key to our evolution," Gaea said with a low chuckle. "Ironic isn't it, that he ended up delivering it straight into my hands instead."

I was stunned, rendered completely speechless.

"You—!"

"This is what I can offer you," Gaea said. "You mentioned 'potential' earlier. Join me, and you can exceed that potential many times over."

The sensation returned tenfold, but something felt horribly wrong. It was twisted, and I suddenly left like I was being violently spun in the opposite direction.

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"Wait—"

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"Stop…!"

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I tumbled off the chair and collapsed into a fetal position. I felt like my body was being turned inside out.

The wooden cocoon opened and the rain splashed against my suit once more.

"I will leave you with that. Consider it a taste of my generosity," Gaea stood. "Once you have decided, you know where to find me."

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