Madison was still shaking from the encounter with Samuel Tern. She couldn't believe she'd managed to stand up to him, even a little bit, when all she really wanted was to crawl under her bedsheets until all of this was over. The way he had talked about the bigger world and the people like him out there terrified her. What exactly was waiting for them?
Her thoughts were interrupted when Travis's phone suddenly buzzed, startling both of them. Travis picked it up and looked at it, frowning. That frown swiftly turned to one of shock and fear.
"What is it?" Madison asked worriedly.
"It's Franklin. There's trouble at the school. The masked man…uh, Swarm is there right now."
Madison felt the swell of fear inside her rise up so suddenly she almost choked. "What?" she shrieked. "B-but how?"
"I don't know. Look, I have to help."
"No you don't! Did you forget what he did to you last time?" Madison argued. She knew how fast he could run so she had to talk fast. Didn't he understand the danger they were in? How narrowly they had escaped death last time?
"Yeah, I remember. So I know no one else can stop him. I have to at least try. That's what a hero would do."
The way he said that took Madison surprise. Whenever he said something like that before, it had been in a goofy way or a way to describe a fictional character. This time, he was fully serious. What Samuel had said, about there being no more heroes in the world, must have resonated deeper with him than she thought.
"Look, I'll be back, I promise. I'll just-"
"I'm coming too."
Madison had said it without thinking so even she was surprised.
"What?" Travis asked, confused.
"I said I'm coming too."
"A-are you sure. Madison, you really don't have to do this. There's no shame in-"
"Just stop," she interrupted, holding up her hand. It was true, all she wanted to do was go cower somewhere and wait for the nightmare to be over. But she couldn't do that. "I get that it's crazy and dangerous and I can't handle it. I know all that. But…I won't fight." That much she was sure of. There was no way she would get drawn into a fight like that. She had done her part last night and that was more than enough. "There's just…when we were fighting last night, I noticed something. I wasn't thinking about it much before but it hit me when we were talking about Samuel, about why this guy's called Swarm. And if it is, then…" she took a deep breath and Travis could see she was very visibly trembling, "you'll need my help."
She honestly wasn't sure she was right about this. She could be a hundred percent wrong. But the thing was, while there weren't many things she was good at, the things that she was, she wasn't just good. She was exceptionally good. So she figured that her hunch had to be correct. And she needed to see it again to make sure. So while she felt like throwing up or just freezing in terror, she knew she had to do this.
Travis took a shaky breath and tried one more time. "Are you-"
"No, I most definitely am not sure but I just…Travis, please just stop and take me, ok? We're wasting time." She knew if they argued any further, he would convince her to stay. And they didn't have that option. Travis nodded and then he scooped her up in his arms again, giving her that warm feeling, and took off.
The good guys always win in the end, she thought to herself as the world blurred around them. That's what you always say, right? So please let it be true.
The next thing she knew, they had stopped. She hadn't known what kind of situation she would find when they arrived, but the reality was so much worse than anything she could have imagined. The school looked like it bad been bombed, most of the courtyard and part of the walls ripped apart. But the main attraction was the villain she now knew as Swarm standing atop that dark metallic stuff he controlled, a large wave of it rising above him.
She saw several other people around. She recognized Luke Decker and Gabriela Fuentes desperately trying to hold off Swarm's attack while Sumin was doing their best to stop the giant wave. Franklin was being attacked by large tentacle spears of the same stuff. Behind him was an athletic girl that Madison recognized as Emily Simmons from Luke constantly asking her out in public. She was clutching her arm, bleeding heavily.
"Oh I shouldn't have come," she mumbled to herself.
"Don't worry!" Travis called out, setting Madison down and walking forward. "Everything is ok now. The cavalry has arrived."
"Ah, if it isn't the Thunderbolt."
"Yes! It's catching on. Oh, and you're Swarm right? Dope name."
"Oh my god," Franklin sighed so audibly he could be heard for miles.
Madison ignored them, focusing on the metallic stuff around them. She had been too scared last night to really look at it and while she was still scared out of her mind right now, she intended to do something about it. As she watched it move around, always in motion, and the way it responded to Swarm's gestures, she knew.
"Travis," she said, taking a step forward.
Just like that, everything froze. A blinding light enveloped them and Madison's eyes widened as she felt that same rush of energy from when she had first received her powers. A second later, the light disappeared and they all had an instant to look at one another before there was a loud thrumming sound. Then it was like they all exploded with light, each one of them suddenly glowing a bright different color. Madison watched in shock as the blue light shining over her shot out six different energy lines, each one connecting to Franklin's green, Travis's yellow, Emily's purple, Luke's red, Gabriela's orange, and Sumin's indigo. At the same time, she saw their auras doing the same, one of their lines striking hers in turn. As soon as they did, she felt something. It was like, she could feel them without even touching them. Like they were connected somehow. And she knew they were feeling the same thing.
An instant later, the lights all faded but in their place was something far stranger. Madison looked at the others in shock before looking down at herself and yelping. Her clothes had disappeared, being replace by a full blue bodysuit that looked like it was made of silk but wrapped comfortably around her. There was a hood over her head and a cape draping down her shoulders as well as what looked like combat boots.
"Holy crap! This is freaking amazing!" Travis cheered, jumping up and down in excitement. "We have superhero uniforms!"
Uniforms? Madison questioned.
"What the hell is this?" Franklin asked, pinching his suit.
"How is this even possible?" Gabriela wondered.
"It even bandaged my wound," Emily said in wonder.
The others all examined their own suits but Madison didn't forget why they were here, looking up at where Swarm was still looming. Except it wasn't him this time. The construct of him hadn't spoken. Instead she looked up further to the school's smashed open window where another Swarm stood. And she could tell this was the real one. But as she looked, she was able to read his expression even through his mask and she gaped at what she saw. He wasn't surprised or shocked or even concerned. He was scared.
"Wh-what is this? How is this possible? This shouldn't be possible!" he roared.
"What?"
"You cannot still be alive. The Cloak Guard died decades ago. So how…how is this possible?"
Cloak Guard? What's that? Madison wondered.
"Now I understand why Lord Kane wants you so badly. A power like yours will upend everything about this world. And I cannot allow that."
"What's he talking about?" Emily groaned, obviously still in pain.
"I think…it has something to do with these uniforms," Travis said.
"Stop calling them that," Franklin told him.
"Well, Thunderbolt, or Travis Stroneman, I must commend you for coming here and bringing along young Jennings over there. It makes it so much easier for me. I had hoped to kill her earlier but she wasn't around."
Madison gulped, feeling sick to her stomach. She wondered how long she might have lasted if she hadn't stayed home today.
"As you can see, I have levelled up since our encounter last night," Swarm said, his construct of himself dissolving with the real one stepping down to take his place. "Those crates gave me everything I needed to become as powerful as you see. Now, there will be no escape. I will crush you before you can become true threats. No more imitations either. I'll finish this personally at full power!"
Just as I thought. Madison was positive she knew what his 'power' was now. All they needed was for Travis to strike the final blow. Before she could say anything though, Sumin's wall finally gave way, shattering into indigo sparkles, and the wave crashed down on top of them.
Madison didn't really understand what came over her. She just knew that while Travis could easily escape this, he wouldn't be able to get them all out in time. She could still feel that power inside her, bubbling underneath the surface of her skin. And she instinctively knew what to do.
Just like before, she didn't think. If she did, she knew she would be too terrified to act. So she just held her hands up high and released all the power, wanting to protect her friends (and the other people there she vaguely knew too).
The wave dropped down but was stopped by a shimmering blue dome that surrounded them. Madison gasped, feeling that wave crashing against her power, but she was able to hold firm.
"Holy crap Madison," Travis said, gaping at the sight. "You can make force fields! That is so freaking cool! You're like Susan Storm from the Fantastic Four or Violet from The Incredibles. I w-"
"Travis, I know how to beat him."
That shut up his rambling and he instantly became serious. "How?"
"He doesn't have a superpower like us," she said.
"He doesn't?" Gabriela questioned. "Then what is all that?" She pointed at the wave still crashing into Madison's force field, her wincing a little every time it did.
"It seems I'm not the only one who's leveled up, eh Miss Jennings," Swarm yelled, sending a giant hammer down on the force field. Madison braced herself, the impact jarring her whole body.
"They're microbots," she explained after a second. "He's just controlling them. That's why they're so flexible and so strong at the same time. There are probably millions of them if not more, forming up into anything he can think of. But when I hit him in the head last night, the microbots faltered. I think the controller is in his mask."
"Oh, just like in that movie Big Hero 6," Luke said.
Travis gaped at him. "How do you know that?"
"I have a six-year-old sister. I've seen almost every animated movie there is to see."
"So we get the mask off. Alright. But I how do I get to him?" Travis asked, looking up at Swarm on top of his mound of microbots. "Those things will just grab hold of me if I run on them."
"Shoot a lightning bolt," Franklin suggested.
"At his face? That's a little harsh."
"He's trying to kill us you dingus!"
"That's a little harsh too but I get your point. Fine, one thunderbolt special, coming up." Travis took a step forward and Madison could see his eyes narrowing in concentration. "Alright, when I say 'now,' Madison, drop the field. I'll hit him in his mask and end this."
Madison gulped but nodded. All she had to do was drop the field. That was an easy job and yet she was terrified of getting that wrong. And yet Travis looked so calm right now. It looked like he had been doing this his whole life, the way he held himself. Like he was born to do this.
"Now."
The order came so suddenly that Madison almost forgot what to do but she swiftly pulled back on the power. The field dropped and Swarm attacked, looking victorious.
The next second it was over.
It happened so fast that Madison's mind felt like it had watched a film with a scene removed. Travis had been standing there, calmly, and now he had his arm pointed right for Swarm, the end of it smoking a little.
"Agghhhhh!"
She followed Travis's finger to Swarm where he was kneeling, clutching his mask that was also smoking. But her eyes widened at the sight around them. The big black wave of microbots was failing, falling apart everywhere. Swarm kept trying to bring them back but they were shaking, droves of microbots falling off and hitting the ground lifelessly.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Swarm chanted endlessly. "No! You will pay for this!"
"Huh, where's all that talk about killing us now?" Franklin asked, arms crossed.
Swarm stared at them for several seconds and Madison could tell he was weighing his options. "You have won this round," he said. "But trust me, we will meet again. And I will end you."
"No you won't," Travis said, stepping forward. "No matter what you try, I'll be there to stop you. So go ahead, build more of your toys. I'll just stomp on them faster."
"You truly have no idea what you've unleashed here today," Swarm sneered. "Soon, you'll be begging for death. Remember that." He did something else with his mask and suddenly all the microbots were working again. Madison prepared herself for a fight but this time, Swarm waved his hand and had them carry him off to the horizon.
As soon as he did, Madison collapsed to the ground, the adrenaline abandoning her. She saw almost all the others do the same, only Travis remaining on his feet. She stared at the devastation around her and could hear the sound of sirens coming closer.
So what happens now?
Across the world, the energy was felt.
In his office, Lord Kane cursed as he felt it, knowing his fears were coming to fruition.
In his personal garden, Slayer looked up as he sensed the power, knowing what was coming.
At SRC headquarters, the top officials and agents all sensed it, looking at each other in shock.
In his cage, the Oculus felt it and he just laughed and laughed while tears slid down his cheeks.
From the depths of the ocean to the high peaks, from scorching deserts to harsh tundras, from small villages to bustling cities, hundreds upon hundreds of individuals raised their heads in surprise and shock, one phrase on their lips.
The Cloak Guard have returned.