There's something about his warning that makes me raise my eyebrows. Sequence isn't the type of Cape to exaggerate. Every story, interview, and news clip of him paints a picture of a man who calls it like it is. So what does he mean? I almost reflexively raise my hand to ask a question before I remember Phoenix's very strict warning. This isn't a team meeting between Phoenix and us; This is a tactical conference about a growing threat that requires more than just a single squad. I am a fly on the wall, a spectator, and nothing more. My job is to observe and not draw attention.

"Sequence, cut the theatrics and explain yourself," Arbiter said, annoyed.

"There has been a growing trend that I've taken notice of regarding missing persons cases, specifically Neuvohumans. These Capes and Cowls have completely disappeared without a trace. It all starts with the conflict that occurred in Crimton between the EDG and the Cavallaro family that resulted in thirty-five dead, which included one of the Dragons: Lee Daeshim. As you all know, the Cavallaro ended up retaliating and nearly wiped out the EDG in response to what was seen as an unexpected betrayal from a business partner," Sequence said.

Lee Daeshim? Why does that sound so familiar? It's like an itch in the base of my brain; there's a memory that's just out of reach.

"I always found it odd that the Lightning Dragon died in a random place like Crimton. He was a powerhouse, and the Cavallaro Family never took credit for his killing. So what are you saying, that this mystery Cowl turned the two groups against each other and is the one that killed him?" Titania asked.

The screen changes to pictures of the Crimton docks, and the itch gets even worse. Completely melted down vehicles, molten holes in warehouses, and bodies from both sides completely annihilated. I think I'm going to be sick. The nausea threatens to make me puke in my helmet, but I keep it down after noticing that besides Ward and Zephyr, everyone else isn't reacting. The next slide shows a Korean man half buried in the cooled asphalt, his body covered in skin bubbles and burns. He has a dragon tattoo coiling around his body and up his neck, but large portions are just burned away. I squint at the picture because he looks vaguely familiar. Titania called him the Lightning Dragon. The doctors at St. Augustine said that my scarring was consistent with electrical burns or lightning strikes.

A blurry memory is rising to the surface of my mind. Tightness in my chest, the feeling of adrenaline coursing through my veins. That man shouting something, but I can't hear it. Shouting at me. Purple electricity arcing off him, travelling up and down his body. There are two other people, but I can't make them out, can't remember. The man, Lee Daeshim, says something and then fires electricity at me. I was there at the docks. That's how I got my terrible scars. No matter what I try, I can't remember anymore of that night. For a moment, I consider telling them what I remembered, but a hazy memory isn't much help.

"Yes, but I believe they had help. I've spoken to local police departments and other Capes that work around that area. There's an enforcer who frequently worked as muscle for hire for local gangs. I couldn't get a name, but the description I got was of a ten-foot-tall volcanic woman. Now, does that sound familiar to anyone?" Sequence asked, jokingly.

"It's the same woman we fought: Vesuvius. You're saying she helped murder Lee Daeshim? No, that doesn't make any sense," Arbiter said, shaking his head.

"If this is about your ego, Arbiter, you can save it," Titania stated.

"My objection has nothing to do with me or my team's defeat; she destroyed us, I do not dispute that fact. My objection comes from the fact that I don't believe her capable of killing. Despite her overwhelming power, she was careful not to cause permanent injuries. She could have killed all of us easily, but she chose to hold back, controlling her strength when engaging with my less durable team members. She was working with three other Cowls: a man in a white helmet, a woman dressed in a mismatched outfit with a bunny mask, and a nearly seven-foot-tall male Bruiser. Both Vesuvius and the male were enraged when the helmeted man was accidentally wounded," Arbiter said.

Virtue's hand shoots up into the air. To my right, Phoenix shakes his head, but doesn't say anything.

"This isn't a classroom, and I believe you were all informed that you are here as silent observers," KnickKnack said.

"Sorry, Sir, but I believe I might have relevant information about this group," she said.

"Then by all means, continue," Sequence said.

"About four months ago, Phoenix led us on a mission to break up the underground fighting pit hosted at the Doublin' Down pub owned by the O'Rourke family. It was meant to be nothing but a simple shutdown, arrest the owners, and maybe there would be a single Cowl or two that we'd have to fight. It was not that. The O'Rourkes were completely wiped out; there were seven Cowls, not two. Five Cowls attacked me, three I recognized and two I didn't. The three I knew are Oxxii, Amethyst, and Slabman; all of them were apprehended. The final two were a smoke Alter and a nearly seven-foot-tall Bruiser. The Bruiser lured me into a backroom, where a man in a black helmet was sitting at a desk surrounded by O'Rourke corpses. He didn't get up while I fought against the Bruiser; he just watched us and counted money. The Bruiser was strong, but I was winning easily, and he fought me with extreme conviction, not stopping even after I broke his arm. Then the woman in the weird outfit and bunny mask appeared out of nowhere and ambushed me. She's a Mentalist, and she did something to me that made me hallucinate. I ended up fighting my team, who restrained me until it wore off. I'm certain that the Bruiser you fought and the Bruiser I fought are the same," Virtue said.

"And the web begins to unweave," Sequence said.

"What the Probationary Member is failing to mention is that no one recalled seeing this man in the black helmet. He wasn't caught on any of the cameras either," Phoenix said.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Yes, I had no proof until today. When a new Cowl named Smolder appeared, killed Echochamber and Null, and then fought me. He quoted things I said back at the Doublin' Down pub back to me, things I only said to the Bruiser. But he wasn't just a Bruiser; he had new abilities as well. He had a smoke power reminiscent of the Alter from the pub, but it was more. He summoned weapons from the smoke cloud and had these guns that I think might've been Tinkertech. Then he threw a grenade at me and told me that the man in the mask says hello. It's connected, it's all connected," Virtue continued.

"For what it's worth, I met the Cowl she's talking about today. He was able to blanket the entire shopping district in a dome of smoke, making it impossible to see. He's strong and evasive. He told the Syndicate he was going to kill them one by one, and then forced me to either tend to Virtue or go after the Cowls. But, he did leave without harassing us or any civilians," Havok confirmed.

"When I fought the Bruiser, he did not display any of these other abilities you're referring to. I am not refuting either of your claims, just wanted to share what I personally experienced," Arbiter added.

"So the man in the black mask is now the man in the white mask? Sure, those four sound strong, but certainly not the threat you've made him out to be, Sequence. Mount Olympus and the Cavallaro Family are much more dangerous," Titania said.

"If I hadn't been interrupted mid-presentation, then you'd understand why he's so dangerous. It isn't just that he killed Lee Daeshim and fractured the relationship between the two Cowl groups. There are others, those that are gone: Erisate, Veritas, Murmur, Rushdown, Constrictor, Tramp, Callback, Diminish, Punch, Offset, and most recently, Hocus Pocus. Capes, Cowls, it doesn't seem to matter. There's even a civilian by the name of Phillip Costanos whose family reported him missing. They are all related and all within the last few months. We have a Neuvohuman serial killer at large who is capable of operating completely undetected. But it isn't just that. Vesuvius went from being hired muscle for thugs to attacking Capes and police officers in broad daylight within two weeks. Then, two months later, she is seen brutally embarrassing a Heroes' Union squad and turning an intersection into a sinkhole. Then we have a run-of-the-mill Bruiser who went from struggling against a probationary member to killing two members of the Syndicate and threatening Union members. Whoever the man in the helmet is, he's capable of cultivating people and motivating them to his cause. If these other five are anything like Vesuvius and Smolder, then you understand why we need to move quickly. We must capture one of them and use them to locate the man," Sequence said, gravely.

"Based on Havok and Virtue's testimonies, I don't believe that capturing Smolder is possible. Arbiter, your squad is the only one that has fought Vesuvius. Do you believe it's possible to capture her?" KnickKnack asked.

Arbiter mulls over the other squad leader's question. The Paragon of Justice, Arbiter. He doesn't do media, so he's one of the only Quinstin Capes I know nothing about. His only concern is saving lives and upholding the Creed. It makes it hard to be a fan of his when he comes across as an unfriendly jerk. His track record speaks for itself, so at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.

"From the footage of her fight against Tramp and Callback, the police reports, and what my team and I experienced, yes. But there is a large caveat to it; there is no existing squad that could take her on. We would have to form a custom squad to do it, and even then, I'm unsure of whether we've seen the extent of what she can do," Arbiter answered.

"You think she's that powerful? My team and I would be more than enough," Titania smiled.

"No, you wouldn't be. It doesn't matter that Havok can regenerate using fire when the rest of you wouldn't be able to do much against her. Vibrance's blasts wouldn't harm her; Veer can't touch her, she naturally counters you, and there's no telling if Legend's shields could hold out against her. Don't underestimate her. We did, and the city paid the price," Sigilist said, speaking for the first time all meeting.

Another badass female Cape.

"She isn't the first fire Cowl I've fought, and none of them have been hot enough to harm me. Save your concern for those of us who are a lot less durable," Titania responded sharply.

"Easy, Titania, I'm sure she has a reason for bringing these concerns up. Continue, Sigilist," KnickKnack said.

"When I fought Vesuvius, she showed a great degree of honor when it came to fighting. She let my teammates escape from the sewer to check on any civilians in the vicinity; she then asked my name as a form of respect. I believe that if someone were to challenge her to a one-on-one fight that she would accept. We can have it happen outside the city and use it to gather information on her capabilities. Then, if our challenger can defeat her or weaker her enough, we can move to contain her," Sigilist said.

"Are you nominating yourself as our champion for this duel?" Sequence asked.

"No. I would nominate the boy over there," Sigilist said, pointing over to our side of the table.

Him? I follow her finger and realize she's pointing at Adversary. Dappur instead of Violet? I look over at my friend and leader, and she's chewing her lip. After her date got ruined, then getting reamed out by Phoenix, and now not being picked; she's pissed.

"Me?" Adversary asked, confused.

"You want to use him to gauge how dangerous she is. It's a good plan, and will at least give me more data that I can use to narrow down further what the man in the helmet is after," Sequence remarked. "Phoenix, thoughts?"

"No," Phoenix immediately answered. "Aversary is not ready, none of them are. I will not let the Union use a child to test the limits of the new Cowl, no matter how powerful they may be. You will have to find a different champion."

Phoenix's refusal is met with crickets. The mood in the room is heavy as the silence stretches out. The atmosphere is uncomfortable and is making me nauseous. This is so freaking awkward. Eventually, Sequence breaks the quiet with a nod of his head. None of the other squad leaders voice any complaints or try to refute my teacher's decision. Phoenix commands a lot of respect even though they retired.

"I believe Sigilist's suggestion still has merit; we will have to pick a different challenger. But that discussion can wait for another time," Titania said.

"Agreed. Is that all you have so far, Sequence?" KnickKnack asked.

"For now, yes. But if Arbiter is right and there are four other Cowls at or close to the level that Smolder and Vesuvius are, then we have four more potential monsters to worry about," he answered, taking his seat at the table.

"Well, until they show themselves, all we can do is be ready. Let's move forward to the next two items on the docket: the appearance of a new Cape and the brutal assassination of X-Train's second-in-command, Vixen. Arbiter, you have the floor," Titania said.

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