The streets of downtown New Jericho were alive with the sounds of protest, the chants of the crowd reverberating off the towering skyscrapers that surrounded them. Malcolm stood at the front of the growing mass, his voice leading the charge.
"We are the many!" his voice boomed, echoing down the concrete jungle. "They are the few!" The words ignited a fire in the hearts of those around him, and the collective voice of the crowd swelled in unison.
The march was peaceful, but the atmosphere was thick with tension. People were here to make a statement that would rattle the very foundations of the city. But the authorities weren't far behind. The distant sound of boots on pavement grew louder as RSAA agents began to take position, forming blockades at the intersections ahead. Their dark anti-riot gear glinted in the sunlight, a foreboding presence that made the protesters uneasy.
Above the scene, on the rooftop of a nearby building, Nyota, Kilo, and Aurora stood in silence, observing the events unfolding below. They had a perfect vantage point, hidden from the eyes of both the protesters and the authorities.
Nyota's eyes narrowed as he watched the first wave of RSAA agents gather. "Looks like they're making a move," he muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the figures in the distance.
Kilo, leaning casually against the ledge, didn't seem to share the same concern. He shrugged. "It's just the usual. They show up at every protest. We've seen it a hundred times."
Aurora, standing slightly apart from the others, folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow at the sight of the agents in their full anti-riot gear. "Yeah, but look at them. Full gear? It's a bit much. Overkill, even if they are Red Stone assassins."
Kilo chuckled and stretched. "That's just how they roll, isn't it? They're always prepared for something big, even if it's just a bunch of people yelling in the streets."
Nyota glanced at Aurora, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't know... something feels off. They're taking extra precautions today. The protest's getting attention, but that kind of response is a little extreme."
Aurora looked back at the agents, her expression a mixture of curiosity and mild concern. "Yeah, well... they're still doing what they do best—intimidating. At least they're not throwing tear gas just yet."
Kilo grinned, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen. "Let's hope they don't. But even if they do, we're not exactly here to make a scene. I mean, if we were, you know I'd be ready for it."
Down below, Malcolm's eyes flicked toward the front lines, where the RSAA had begun to form a perimeter. He knew the drill—their intimidation tactics were expected. But this time, they wouldn't back down. His voice rang out once more, calling to the crowd to stand firm, to remain united despite the looming threat.
Suddenly, the amplified voice of a lead RSAA soldier cut through the air. "This is your final warning! Disperse immediately, or we will be forced to take action. You have been warned!"
Malcolm's heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to let fear show. He raised his fist into the air, a silent signal to the crowd. The protest continued, louder than ever, each chant a declaration of resistance against the forces that sought to suppress them.
--
"We're close," Sage murmured, adjusting his earpiece to listen for any reports from the others. "Keep it steady, Kai."
Inside the gleaming skyscraper towering above the street, Sage and Kai were deep in their mission. Sage pulled out the equipment he'd need from his bag with practiced precision. Kai, already several steps ahead, opened her laptop, the quiet hum of the machine vibrating through the dark, compact room.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, tapping rapidly as she hacked into the building's security systems. The plan was simple—take control of the massive billboard on the building's exterior, hijack its feed, and display the Zteel insignia for the entire city to see. But, as always, things weren't going quite as smoothly as they'd hoped.
"I've almost got it," Kai muttered, her voice tinged with frustration as the code flickered on her screen. Her brows furrowed as the firewall reappeared, more stubborn and complex than she'd anticipated. "This firewall's tougher than I thought. I didn't expect this kind of resistance."
Sage stood a few feet away, rotating between keeping an eye on the entrance to their makeshift hideout and a nearby window. He could hear the distant sound of the protest growing louder, mingling with the sound of a helicopter overhead. It was only a matter of time before the RSAA's presence became even more pronounced.
He came to stand just behind her, watching the screen, his eyes sharp as ever. "You've got this. Just take a breath. We've handled worse."
Kai gritted her teeth, her fingers steadying as she focused on cracking the next layer. The pressure of the operation weighed on her, but there was no turning back now. The operation had to succeed. For everyone watching outside, for everyone counting on them.
She closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. Sage peered out through a small window's blinds to watch the protest unfold before turning back to Kai. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you… meditating?"
Maintaining her focus, she raised a single finger, prompting Sage to nod understandably.
"Oh—alright," he retreated. "I'll let you have at it, then."
Kai's eyes flicked back to the screen, and for a split second, the code seemed to shift in front of her. It was as though the entire structure of the system had become clear, every sequence of characters and numbers revealing its hidden patterns. It was like she was looking at a puzzle where all the pieces had already been laid out, and she was simply connecting them.
The familiar feeling of Cognitive Synthesis kicked in, her mind instantly recognizing the structure of the firewall from the dozens of similar systems she'd studied before. She didn't have to consciously think about it—her mind did it for her, drawing from the vast mental library of experiences, knowledge, and codes she'd encountered over the years.
Kai's fingers danced over the keyboard as memories of similar security systems—complex and intricate—flashed before her. She could almost see the blueprints of their structures overlaid on her surroundings, the codes and symbols floating in the air as though they were physically present.
"You're almost there," Sage said, trying to steady Kai's nerves with his quiet reassurance. "Just a couple more adjustments." He glanced out the window again, the noise from the crowd rising in the distance. "They're getting close. We don't have much time."
"Yeah, no pressure, right?" Kai muttered under her breath, adjusting the code for the hundredth time. But despite her words, her focus never wavered.
Her Memory Sovereign kicked in, bringing up every detail of the training she'd undergone, every code she had cracked, every firewall she had broken through in the past, down to the smallest fragments. The flow of information seemed endless but instantaneous, each bit reinforcing the next, each movement on her keyboard aligned perfectly with her mental map.
Sage glanced back out the window, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below, noting the growing numbers of RSAA agents. They were concerned about a possible confrontation, but Kai had her mission to finish, and there was no turning back now.
"Any day now," Kai whispered to herself as the last few lines of code slid into place. There was a moment of silence, a pause that seemed to stretch on forever. Then, a flash of light—the screen on her laptop blinked as it cracked through the last layer of security.
"I've got it," Kai said, a mixture of relief and excitement in her voice. "I'm in!" She shouted a moment later, a quiet sigh of relief escaping her lips. The screen flickered once more before the final security measures collapsed, and she quickly set the system to loop the video feed.
A wide grin spread across Sage's face. "Great work."
"I can put us up, now. But first—" she smiled. "You got a quote?"
Sage grinned, nodding. "I think I've got just the thing."
Kai stood to hand him her laptop, allowing him to type what they planned to display. After another moment of pondering, Sage typed the quote in before turning the laptop to show her.
"And… send." Kai sang. With a final tap, she made the command, the massive billboard outside the skyscraper flickered to life, the Zteel insignia filling the screen in bold, electric blue. It was unmistakable—an undeniable symbol of their message. The city would know what they had done, and there was no going back.
Outside, the protesters paused to analyze the signage, the armored soldiers doing the same. They studied the mysterious Z design, attached along with it was a banner sentence that read the following:
"Big Sis is watching, but we just changed the channel."
The protesters let out a unified cheer as they caught sight of the flashy symbol and quote, figuring it was a direct challenge to the agents before them. The RSAA, still entrenched in their position, had no idea what had just happened. The insignia on the billboard stood as a silent challenge to their forces of control.
Malcolm stood at the front of the crowd, his eyes catching the gleam of the billboard. His heart raced with a mix of exhilaration and defiance. This was it. The beginning of something bigger.
Inside the skyscraper, Sage and Kai exchanged a brief, triumphant glance before gathering their things. The mission was a success. But the fight wasn't over.
"C'mon," Sage called. "Let's rendezvous with the others."
Outside, the protests raged on, the chants louder than ever.