It looks like there was a reason Phobus and his NewOrder stayed on the run, away from direct confrontations…
Because Rebellion just took Phobus down in about ten seconds flat.
After all that Phobus has done, after all the pain and suffering he has caused and all the fear he has inspired, Travis had hoped to have a piece of him. But even if he was there, it seems there wouldn't have been much Phobus to go around, anyway.
And if the American public needed a show of Powered strength to prove they're in safe hands, they just received it.
"Now let's see about shutting down that tin can of his," Rebellion says, running towards the tower.
The Finalists all follow Rebellion up through the tower and Travis really hope they're not too late to shut down the weapon—the last thing he need is to suddenly grow gills or a snout or something, sitting at home.
But when the Finalists get to the top floor, they find Lucky standing there with a smile on her face. And that's probably because a woman lies unconscious at her feet—a woman Travis can only assume is the mysterious engineer behind Phobus's bio-weapon.
She isn't an Animalistic Powered, but rather some kind of tech-hybrid. Underneath the golden tunic she wears, she has coiled, mechanic wings jutting out of her back that are covered with dozens of different gadgets, upgrades, and inventions.
Seeing the winged engineer lying there is also quite the relief—all those mentions of a mysterious tech-genius Travis couldn't help but bring Veta to his mind, even though he knew that couldn't possibly be true.
"Meet Splicina," Lucky says, "the engineer of Phobus's bio-weapon for Animalistic hybridization. And the illegal lifeforce sourcing specialist who helped design the transmission system for Black Magic's lifeforce-channeling Powers early in her career."
Lucky turns to the nearest camera orb, gearing up for her next line.
"I'm proud to have been able to capture this dangerous criminal, because there must be zero tolerance when it comes to lifeforce sourcing."
Sh*t—so there was a lifeforce sourcing connection between Black Magic's Powers and Phobus's weapon. And The Hero Project must have discovered this connection and set Lucky up for this little public service announcement.
It looks like someone is being groomed to be the next Black Magic….
"Which is also why I've already taken the steps to decommission Phobus and Splicina's bio-weapon."
Behind Lucky, Phobus's bio-weapon lies dormant—it's an intricately interlocked, glowing combination of parts that look not entirely unlike a giant needle.
"Please hold all applause until the end of the show," Lucky says, bowing with a grin on her face.
"Oh, thank heavens," Grandma exhales beside Travis—it looks like someone was just as nervous as him about this whole Mission. And all things considered, the operation has gone flawlessly.
Though he can't help but think it would have been ever more flawless with him there.
The Hero Project just officially stopped the NewOrder's bio-terrorist strike and shut down Phobus. This moment is pretty amazing—historic, even. This is going to be the biggest news story of the year—maybe even the decade.
And as Rebellion and The Hero Project Final 8 pose for pictures in front of the deactivated bio-weapon and the detained NewOrder, all Travis can think is he weren't there to be a part of it.
He tries to be happy for Null and the other Finalists, but all he can feel right now is… stuck.
"I have a special announcement," Covalt says, stepping out in front of the gathering in his usual suit and tie. "Normally now would be the time for us to trim our numbers down to seven, but given this momentous victory, we here at The Hero Project think a celebration is in order!"
Some of the Final 8 begin to cheer at this news—and even Travis have to admit, he definitely think the Finalists deserve some time to enjoy this moment before the axe swings yet again.
"For all you viewers, live with us, be sure to catch a special episode of The Hero Project tonight, which will show you all the behind-the-scenes footage you didn't get to see from this morning's coverage."
"And then we'll be back here on Wednesday, right after Election Tuesday, to announce which six Finalists will be graduating from The Hero Project and joining the new President's premiere Powered team, The American Protectors! It's a jam-packed Finale you won't want to miss!"
"Now, I'd like to give Rebellion and our judges a chance to—"
But Covalt is interrupted by the sound of a piercing scream.
The Crush suddenly doubles over, clutching his chest as he screams uncontrollably.
"What on earth…" Grandma says, leaning in towards the 3V to try and get a better look at what's going on. De Milo even swivels in her pot from beside the couch towards the 3V.
And Travis watch just as intently as Lucky places a hand on The Crush's shoulder to see if he is okay.
Then, without warning, The Crush screams louder and lashes out with telekinetic fury, sending Lucky reeling backwards.
It happens in an instant and as The Crush passes out, all Travis can hear is the sound of Lucky's bones snapping against the nearest wall.
After that, there's only the sound of his own heart beating in his ears.
"Stop him now!" Rebellion shouts. "The Crush is going out of control."
Travis then turns off the 3V and quickly puts on his hoodie. "Grandma, I need to go there."
"Be careful Travis!" Grandma shouts.
Days later.....
He's thankful that the fabric of his brand new costume feels breathable, because he's going to be sweating bullets tonight.
The Hero Project sprang for glammed-up versions of everyone's costumes for the big Finale episode—right now he gets to show his off on the formal red carpet. As exciting (and exhausting) as it is to be at such a big event, he can't help but be distracted by everything that has happened in the past forty-eight hours….
"Gravitate! Gravitate! Any word on Lucky's condition? How do you feel about the—"
"That'll be all for now," GG says, rolling out in front of Travis. "The Finalists need to get inside the theater for the show."
Thankful for GG's blocking, all Travis can think as he follows GG inside is that, even though all of the eliminated Finalists were invited to the Finale along with the Final 8, not everyone could be here tonight….
Twenty Minutes later.....
"Today is a day most bittersweet," Covalt says, speaking to the audience seated in the massive amphitheater. Travis knows there are thousands of faces out there and millions more behind the cameras, but all he can see from his spot on stage with all the other Finalists (current and eliminated) are the bright lights.
"Today there is as much to mourn as there is to celebrate," Covalt continues. "But as we have always done here at The Hero Project, we must soldier on. For tonight, we finally learn which American Protectors heroes will rise."
"And there has never been a moment when heroes are needed more," Rexford says, taking over from the judge's panel. "If Monday's events have proven anything, it is that we are entering a bold new era in American heroics, an era that also presents bold new challenges."
"Thankfully, our heroes are ready to face these challenges under the leadership of our brand new President-Elect, who is here with us tonight to witness this momentous occasion. Though it may be because he has an important Finalist to root for…."
As the cameras all swivel towards the front row, Rexford leads the audience in a standing ovation for Mayor Victon.
Scratch that.
President Victon.
What happens when one of the most feared Unique-Class Powereds unleashes his terrifying abilities on one of the nation's most beloved aspiring heroes?
It sparks a flame that spreads like wildfire across the country.
The moment Lucky and The Crush were wheeled away, the media storm began. Of course The Meek were the first to jump in, joined then by President Victon and the holo-news networks—anti-Powered sentiment ratings exploded as wild theories regarding The Crush's outburst circulated.
It was like watching a bubble burst, letting loose a tide of unresolved anxiety. Travis knew there was anti-Powered Sentiment simmering under the surface of this nation's politics after the Death Wave, but he had no idea it was this widespread….
And all of this happened the day before the presidential election, where Powered regulation was one of the biggest hot-button issues.
Which led Victon to win by a (rather terrifying) landslide.
But Travis doesn't care about it, he only cares about is Lucky's condition.
He need to hear if she is okay….
The Crush and Lucky were rushed to the hospital right after the incident and there has been no word on their condition since. No one has been allowed to visit, so he's waiting to hear how they're doing with the rest of the nation. He's sure there will be an update during tonight's Finale—there has to be.
He can't stop thinking about Lucky—not knowing what has happened to her has been impossible. All he want to do is hug her and tell her it's going to be okay.
He wants to believe Lucky is going to be fine, but every time he tries, he flashes back to that snapping sound and loses his senses all over again….
There has also been very little word on what caused The Crush to lash out this way, or whether he was in control when he did. The Hero Project has been surprisingly tight-lipped on the subject, aside from a statement from Rebellion claiming The Crush exhibited no signs indicating he would do something like this, voluntarily or not.
Travis is convinced that The Meek mole did this, especially after the way it influenced the presidential election.
Travis and Jenny suspected there would be some kind of anti-Unique plot in motion and what happened to The Crush certainly seems to prove that theory. And if that really is the case, the scope of what has been happening here could be far bigger than he or Jenny ever imagined.
He just wish Jenny had been able to stop this somehow before it all happened. He hasn't had the chance to speak to her about it yet, but he plans to, the first chance he get tonight. Because he can't help but wonder, if he had stayed in the competition, would that have been his Powers spiraling out of control instead of The Crush's?
And if a Meek mole really is behind this, what could it potentially mean for him tonight, as the only Unique Powered remaining from the Final 14?
He does know one thing, Jenny will have to make sure to make the most of his sacrifice. If there is indeed foul play here, Jenny will have done everything she can to find out about it.
"We will have important updates as to the status of The Crush and Lucky, as well as the full shutdown of Phobus's NewOrder," Rexford continues, once the audience has settled back down. "Also, we will still commence with the two planned eliminations tonight, so be sure to stay tuned."
Travis plants himself in his seat on the stage, wondering how tonight will play out….
One way or another, it's sure to be a very memorable night.
One hour later.....
He sits on stage, trying to keep his frayed nerves from pulsing in his body. The Hero Project has been drawing out the live, two-hour Finale as long as possible, waiting to announce anything important until the end. He has sat through a dozen montages highlighting the competition, updates on Phobus & The NewOrder's incarceration, and live interviews with all the Finalists and the judges.
Though now the stage has cleared of everyone except Covalt and the present members of the Final 14. All of the eliminated Finalists (except Scoundel, of course, who currently resides in a Maximum Security prison with the rest of The NewOrder) sit behind the remaining six Finalists. Everyone is hoping/expecting The Crush or Lucky to come out and join the proceedings too, especially since the eliminations are about to begin.
"All right, it's time we began the task at hand," Covalt says. "I would like to turn to our judges for some important announcements about tonight's Finale."
Rexford clears his throat and puts on his best grim face as he begins to speak. "Obviously, the question on everyone's minds must be the status of the missing two Finalists from our Final 8 and how it might affect our eliminations tonight. So, to address The Crush's current condition, I'd like to turn to Rebellion."