Bright Spire thrust upward through the inner city’s skyline, a towering chrome sentinel that eclipsed everything beneath. Its peak—a sleek, revolving ring of steel and mirrored glass—commanded a panoramic vista of the urban expanse, a perch for the city’s mightiest to oversee their realm. From its dizzying height, the entire city unfurled in every direction. The wide windows offered a god’s-eye view, framing the chaos and order of the metropolis in stark clarity.

  Inside, the command room buzzed with the dull hum of routine. Some of the most powerful superheroes in the city sat around a polished silver colored table, their voices a low drone as they debated the usual fare: criminals seeping in from the outer zones, resource allocation to bolster the city’s defenses.

  An artificial intelligence, its presence a subtle glow in the room’s holo-screens, ran its standard sweep of connections to the Spire’s members. A while ago it had paused, a flicker of red pulsing across its interface—something had snagged its attention and so it began to take action.

  “I have summoned Tanner and Russo from the Seventh Spire observation outpost,” the AI announced, its synthetic voice cutting through the murmur. “They possess intelligence on a subject linked to one of our core members— subject designation Alex Foster.”

  Katey “Phoenix” Shaw stiffened, her auburn hair catching the light like a smoldering ember. It wasn't as if there weren't plenty of Foster's in the city but if the AI said it was linked to one of them? She shook her head disgustedly. “Haven’t heard that name in a while,” she muttered, twisting the silver First Spire ring on her finger. Her green eyes flickered with a buried spark—anger, betrayal, the kind that could ignite her whole body into flame if she let it slip. She forced it down. She was with Dark-Star now, an A-class hero and corporate titan. She'd traded up and the past shouldn’t still sting but it did - and resentment simmered beneath her calm, her green eyes flashing with barely contained fire.

  Moments later, Milo Tanner and Vince “Rusty” Russo shuffled into the room. They stood before the assembly, tension radiating off them as they faced the city’s elites.

  “We’ve got scraps on Foster,” Milo began, his voice clipped, nervousness and frustration etching lines into his brow. “He was in the hospital —data feeds went dark before we could archive anything. Then the hospital lawyers buried us in red tape. Won’t cough up a damn thing. Sorry.”

  “Hospital?” Phoenix twitched, a dim guilty memory of the reason he’d last been in the hospital flickered through her mind, she crushed it.

  “He’s out now.” Rusty grunted, folding his arms. “We did get a hit from the PRU outpost in Zone E—Foster’s also in their system for something. But when we tried to pull the files? Locked out. Secured with a max level seal. Like someone ramped it all the way up.”

  The room leaned in, a ripple of curiosity stirring the air. Milo’s jaw tightened as he pressed on. “All we know for sure is he took down Wolfen—who was a Grade B regenerator. Guy was a loose cannon, strong enough for inner-city posting but got kicked out for too many infractions. He preferred being a big fish in the outer zone’s little ponds over taking orders here.”

  “Killed him in a straight-up altercation,” Rusty added, his tone gruff, a flicker of grudging respect in his eyes.

  So Foster was a murderer now. “Then why isn’t he in secure-max?” Phoenix ground her teeth together, she wouldn’t let old affections stand in the way of justice. Especially when those old affections were more like old regrets that she hadn't punched him in the face the last time she saw him.

  “Ah.. well… because Wolfen murdered someone right in front of him and he was intervening to try and save that person so… you know… it was kind of uh... self defense?” Mumbled Rusty. “Sorry but… no real details beyond that, when we asked the lab boys how he did it- we got kicked out. Maybe if you all asked they would answer. We’re… you know, low level over in the seventh spire.” Numbered spires after all were nothing compared to those that had names.

  The AI’s glow pulsed once processing the information. “Noted. Thank you for the information. You’re excused.” Milo and Rusty exchanged a glance—relief tinged with fear —and they trudged out with haste, the heavy metal doors sliding silently shut behind them.

  The First Spire’s command room settled into a charged silence, the gathered heroes shifting in their seats. These were the city’s titans, each a force of nature in their own right, their presence filling the space with weight.

  Ultra-Girl perched near the window, her A+ borderline S-class aura practically shimmering. Her blonde hair caught the light, framing a face that was all sharp angles and steely resolve. Super strength, flight, invulnerability—all gifts of her Ultra Field, a shimmering barrier that flared around her when she focused. But her weakness kept her tethered to the tower: the field dropped when she slept, leaving her vulnerable. The insurance companies had contractually bound her to always rest here inside the safety of the tower to protect their brand. They couldn’t have the face on the cereal box taken down by a midnight assassin. So she had no private life, no escape from the glass cage. Her blue eyes flicked to the city below, a flicker of longing buried beneath her stoic mask. She really didn’t want to be here now… daylight hours were her time to be free.

  The Platinum Paladin sat at the head of the table, her silver armor gleaming like liquid moonlight, her expression unreadable behind her featureless visor. She radiated quiet authority, her every word and move seeming deliberate.

  Hyper—Maxwell Kane—lounged in his chair, occasionally spinning in circles and giggling. An A-class speedster whose whole world crawled in slow motion. His lean frame vibrated with restless energy and his dark eyes were always darting around the room, bored and detached, a smirk playing on his lips as he also spun a pen at impossible speed.

  CyberMancer—Elijah Remington—loomed over a glowing console, his cybernetic body whirring softly. Once a D-rank technopath, he’d traded flesh for steel, his power growing with each upgrade. Many tried this path to power but few succeeded before succumbing to cyber induced psychosis. Elijah had never had that problem and now his cyborg strength let him slug it out with A-ranks.

  Devil-Boy slouched in the corner, a lanky 13-year-old with tousled black hair and a handheld game buzzing in his hands. When he got mad, he swelled into a ten-foot, red-skinned monster—horns, claws, the works. The government parked him here, figuring that Bright Spire could handle him if he popped off. In devil form, he was near-unstoppable, shrugging off death like a bad cold, always regenerating back to perfect health in a day. He glanced up from a gaming console, bored, unbothered by the tension.

  Krael leaned against the wall, his towering frame exuding alien arrogance. He claimed to be a scout from another world—and possessed super strength, speed, and invulnerability. His power was immense - S class.. His skin shimmered faintly and his cobalt colored eyes glinted with amusement.

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  CyberMancer’s fingers danced over his console, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I can break the PRU lock. Gimme a sec.”

  The Paladin’s voice cut through, sharp and firm. “That’s a breach of protocol. Security locks exist for a reason.” Her visor tilted toward him, disapproval radiating from her stance, but the room overruled her with a collective murmur. She sighed inwardly, grateful her own records sat offline, locked in her mother’s vault.

  A holo-screen flared to life, PRU files spilling across it. Nothing too impressive, just a C class psychometric. That’s a little rare. Looks like he consults with the PRU."

  Katey pursed her lips, annoyed for some reason. So... Foster was a Super now, even if only mid-graded.

  The AI pulsed again breaking in. “There is a ninety-nine percent probability he is responsible for their recent breakthrough with the serial killer known as the Ghost. I have also acquired access to some recordings under seal, buried in the archives.”

  The Paladin stiffened, “No need to dredge up old-”

  "Ooh!" CyberMancer tilted his mechanical vaguely mantis shaped head. “These appear to be from Foster’s high school… curious that there would be a mark-6 spy drone inside a normie high school. Ah, no it makes sense now - biometrics log Phoenix there as well. No… the drone was definitely focused on Foster as the primary target.”

  “He’s my Ex o.k. I don’t think people need to see me getting humiliated!” Phoenix growled. Foster - high school - her… it had to be the day she found out he was a cheating piece of trash. She was starting to get pissed. Why was there a drone there?

  “Now I’m kinda curious.” Hyper’s chair stopped spinning.

  “Me too!” Devil-boy chimed in. “High school drama! High school drammmma!” He laughed.

  “Phoenix is right-” The Paladin interjected.

  CyberMancer let out a robotic chuckle and tapped a finger to the screen. “I’m also curious.”

  Images of a classroom materialized—dingy, desks scratched with years of graffiti. Foster sat near the back, his dark hair a messy curtain over his gray eyes, his face tight with a quiet, coiled intensity as he stared at his text book. It was obvious he was struggling.

  “Oh… he is kinda cute. All thin and broody.” Ultra-Girl raised her eyebrow and glanced at Phoenix, “good taste.”

  The teacher, a gaunt woman with tired eyes, called Foster to the front of the class, her voice stiff and cracking as she spoke. “Alex — it was just on the news. The expedition has been classified a total loss… Your aunt… she didn’t make it. The counselor will be available to see you after class.”

  The teacher walked away and a blonde cheerleader— all golden curls and soft curves filling the school uniform rose from her desk—and slipped in behind him, her beauty a stark contrast to the rest of the room’s drabness. She approached Foster stepping around him, her expression tender, hesitant. “I’m so sorry.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

  Onscreen, a teenage Foster stood in class, staring blankly, his face pale with shock. Suddenly the cheerleader wrapped her arms around him in a hug, her touch gentle, consoling. “You’re going to be o.k. It’s going to be o.k.”

  Then the door opened and Katey - Phoenix - younger, eyes wild - walked in her voice a sudden whip-crack of fury. “You cheating bastard!” she screamed, flames licking the ends of her hair as she screamed at him, tears streaking her face. “You vile cheating scum!” She pointed at the two of them.

  “What…” the blonde girl stumbled away, “No… he… I… this is just a hug?”

  “What… what are you talking about Katey?” Foster looked up at her, his expression one of lost confusion, blinking in confusion like he hadn’t even been aware of the last few moments, and was still struggling to process.

  “I saw it with my own eyes!” Katey screamed, “We’re done! We’re over!” She ran out of the room slamming the door behind her.

  The video cut out as Foster flinched, stunned, the cheerleader pulling back in confusion.

  “I’m sorry!” The blonde girl mumbled, “Sorry, so-so sorry…” She also ran out of the room, but she closed the door quietly behind her looking utterly ashamed.

  Foster just raised a hand to his head, wincing and slowly walked to sit back down at his seat, the entire class whispering and pointing, some of them laughing. He had a tear at the corner of his eye, and he wiped at it away, staring at his finger as if he was confused as to why he was upset.

  The video feed cut off.

  “Good god Phoenix, that’s some cold shit. Dumping him right after he got that kinda news... over nuthin.” Devil-boy looked at her like he’d just bitten into something sour. “This is why games are better than girls., bitches be craaazy.” He grabbed his console and shook his head.

  Katey’s hands flew to her mouth now, her eyes wide with horror. “That’s not what happened!” Her cheeks flushing as she felt the room’s stares. Ultra-Girl raised an eyebrow, Hyper snorted softly, and even Cyber-mancer looked disappointed in her, the expression still somehow being conveyed on his mantis-like robotic head..

  Krael tilted his head, “Is this a human cultural norm? To break pair bonding when a chosen mate's family dies as they are no longer as valuable? Fascinating. I will need to adjust my reports.” He seemed excited.

  “No!” Phoenix screamed, “that’s not what happened! I was going to surprise him… and I saw him - I saw him kissing her when I walked in! Those … those tapes are a lie! They’re a lie!”

  “Improbable.” the AI intoned, “The videos are digitally signed and verified with ZKPs, as there is a mismatch in your memory and my data I must now invoke Sentinel Mindcheck Protocol and a system’s data-integrity check.”

  “DAMN IT!” Ultra-Girl snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a whip. “We’re gonna be trapped here for hours!”

  “Great…” CyberMancer muttered, his mechanical groan laced with regret as he slouched over his console, wishing he’d left the video alone.

  “Luckily for all of you, I can check my data very quickly” the AI coldly intoned, “and Synapse is on-site. I’m summoning her to the spire now.”

  “Oh crap… it’s the mind melter.” Devil-boy looked disgusted and most of the assorted supers looked at least somewhat disturbed and as the door opened, Synapse wore an outfit that could best be compared to draping yourself in cuttlefish skin - the vague patterns always twisting and reforming like a living Rorschach test. She worked her way around the room. Glanced at Krael and shook her head, “His head is not human enough, or maybe it’s too human, all I’m getting from him is how excited he is that he has four dates lined up for later tonight.”

  “Human courtship rituals are endlessly intriguing,” Krael mused, unfazed.

  Synapse snorted. “Better hope your genes don’t mix with ours, or you’ll be buried in paternity suits soon.”

  She reached Phoenix last, her grimace deepening. “S-class minds are a pain with all that natural resistance - to try and find manipulation can be a chore." She took a deep breath, "Okay, Phoenix—focus on that memory—” She halted mid-step, pulling back with an expression of surprise. “Scratch that. Amateur hour stuff. Obvious psychic tampering. That memory’s fake, and it’s not the only one—there’s a bunch.”

  “That is a severe security breach.” The AI intoned. “Can you remedy it?”

  “I’m an S class! We’re supposed the be resistant to Psychic manipulation!” Phoenix protested.

  “Yes, but you weren't an S-Class back then, when you had just triggered you could barely be classified a B class, you just had a high level of growth potential and a high probability of reaching the top. Even a dedicated enough C-Class telepath could have gotten in your head - and once you're in you leave a back door and it gets a little easier every time, I'm working on closing that up now.”

  “Who did it!”

  “I can't tell you that, although I could give you information which could be used to make an educated guess based on the other memories that have been altered, however before telling you I suggest we discuss this privately.”

  “Who did it?” Phoenix snarled, her voice a growl as flames spiraled up her hair, casting wild shadows across the spire’s chrome walls. Her fists clenched, embers sparking from her knuckles like tiny meteors.

  “Fine, fine!” Synapse snapped exasperatedly, “Don't burn the whole place down! Most of the other memories that have been altered are sexual in nature… making recollections of … lackluster encounters seem amazing… you know what… let me just purge this recollection filter - I’ll let you experience it for yourself…and sorry… this is going to suck for you, as it's gonna trigger remembering everything that’s been changed.”

  Phoenix dropped to the ground, and slowly began to dry heave and sob.

  “Sorry.” Synapse shrugged, “All clear Master AI! No more backdoors- schedule her for a checkup with a round robin of tepes and she’ll be clear for action in a week or so, after her mind heals up. She’ll probably be even more resistant than a normal S class then.”

  Phoenix slowly rose from the ground, body engulfed in crimson flames. “I’m… going… to… KILL… HIM.”