Melton's consciousness drifted in and out, pain a constant undercurrent as he slumped against the cold wall of the abandoned building. His vision blurred, the System's interface flickering weakly. He heard a noise—a door creaking open, footsteps soft but deliberate.
"Who's there?" he croaked, forcing his eyes open.
A woman with piercing eyes and an assured gait emerged into the twilight. She moved with the ease of someone used to danger, her dark hair pulled back.
She arched an eyebrow upon seeing him. "Well, well, what do we have here?" She muttered, her voice difficult to understand. "A wounded bird, perhaps?"
Melton pushed to his feet, only to have his legs fail him and fall back against the wall. "I'm not... a threat," he choked out.
The woman, Maya Chen, narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that. You're coming with me."
She pulled him to his feet with an unexpected amount of strength, virtually carrying him through a maze of turns. Melton's vision faded once more, but he managed to pick out hints of an underground hideout in the form of homemade barricades, walls covered in graffiti, and other details.
At last, they emerged into a vast, darkly lighted space crammed with people and machinery. Melton felt his heart race. The rebels had either discovered him or he had found them.
Maya gently lowered him onto a makeshift bed. "Stay here. I'll get someone to look at you."
She vanished into the darkness before he could answer. A few moments afterward, a tall, commanding man with deep brown complexion, a baritone voice, and a composed, authoritative demeanor approached.
"Name's Darius," he said, his voice a soothing rumble. "I'm gonna help you. Just stay still."
Darius's hands glowed with a soft, green light as he placed them over Melton's injuries. Melton felt a warmth spread through his body, the pain fading away.
"You're... a healer," Melton muttered, feeling the energy seep into his bones.
"Yeah, it's my gift," Darius replied with a small smile. "We all have our talents or powers as you like to call them here. Just relax."
As the healing light worked its magic, Melton's strength returned. He sat up, looking around the room. A group of people had gathered, their expressions curious and wary. Maya stood at the front, her arms crossed.
"Introductions are in order," she said. "But first, who are you and why were you running from government agents?"
Melton took a deep breath. "My name is Melton Ryder. I have something called the System, and it gives me... abilities, my ability or gift might be useless in battle but I'm a hacker. With this, I stumbled onto a government conspiracy, and now they're trying to silence me."
"And you expect us to just believe that?" Maya said
"What if you're an agent among them who was sent to spy on us?"
"Relax Maya, his injuries were too deep and his heart says something different" said a lady emerging from the dark corner of the room with her eyes giving a light blue glow.
Maya's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "Fair enough. Let's get you acquainted with the team."
She gestured to a woman with flowing locs and a fierce demeanor. "This is Zara. She's our tech genius. Anything digital, she can hack it, just like you."
Zara nodded, her locs swaying. "Nice to meet you, Melton. Welcome to the resistance."
Next was a petite woman with piercing blue eyes and an aura of calm. "This is Lena. She's our empath. Can sense emotions and sometimes influence them."
Lena offered a gentle smile. "Don't worry, you're safe here."
A tall, athletic woman with short, platinum-blonde hair stepped forward. "I'm Cass. Speedster. I can move faster than you can blink."
Cass grinned, her energy infectious. "Good to have another enhanced on our side."
Darius, the healer, gave a small wave. "You already know me. Healing's my thing."
Finally, a striking woman with red hair and an air of mystery introduced herself. "I'm Nadia. Illusions. I can make you see and feel what isn't there."
Melton took it all in, feeling a mix of relief and caution. "Thanks for helping me. I didn't expect... any of this."
Maya stepped forward, her gaze still guarded. "We help those who fight against the government. But trust is earned, Melton. We need to be sure you're not a spy."
Melton nodded. "I understand. I'm just trying to survive, and maybe find some answers."
Maya's expression softened slightly. "We'll see about that. For now, rest. We'll figure out our next move in the morning."
Melton fell to his back, relieved and exhausted as the group scattered. For the time being, at least, he was in a safe place. He was aware of Maya's residual misgivings, too, and he felt compelled to dispel them. His battle against the government was far from concluded, and he required every ally he could obtain.
The quiet murmur of movement all around him roused Melton. Even though it was unpleasant, the homemade bed had given him several hours of much-needed sleep. He adjusted to the low lighting of the subterranean sanctuary by blinking. The room was filled with quiet conversations, the odd clink of tools, and the subtle whir of computers.
He sat up, his body still sore but significantly better thanks to Darius's healing. He noticed Zara, the tech genius with flowing locs, seated at a cluttered table nearby, surrounded by an array of screens and gadgets. Curiosity piqued, he made his way over to her.
"Hey," he greeted softly.
Zara looked up, her eyes sharp but friendly. "Morning, Melton. Feeling better?"
"Yeah, much better. Thanks to Darius," Melton replied, taking a seat opposite her. "I wanted to thank you all for helping me. I owe you one."
Zara waved off his gratitude. "Don't mention it. We're all in this fight together. Besides, anyone who manages to piss off the government is a friend in my book."
Melton chuckled. "So, what are you working on?"
Zara let out a sigh and became serious. "For years, I've been attempting to breach the networks of the government. They have several levels of security, and each time I approach, they bar me. It irritates me.
Curious, Melton leaned forward. "I got accepted, but it wasn't a simple process. It was hardly enough time for them to find me. What precisely are you looking for?"
Zara's eyes sparkled with a mixture of frustration and admiration. "Anything that can give us an edge. Details about their enhanced agents, the origin of their powers, and the specifics of the sinister project they're working on. But so far, I've hit wall after wall."
Melton nodded, feeling a spark of camaraderie. "The System helped me, but it was still a close call. I didn't get much before I had to bail, just enough to know they were experimenting with something big and dangerous."
Zara leaned back, studying him. "You must be one hell of a hacker to have gotten that far. We've got some of the best tech here, and even I couldn't break through their defenses."
Melton felt a swell of pride. "The System gives me an edge, but it's not infallible. I got lucky."
Zara smirked. "Luck or skill, you did what I couldn't. Maybe together, we can crack this thing wide open."
Maya and Lena approached, Maya's expression as unreadable as ever. "I see you're making friends, Melton."
Melton nodded. "Just trying to find my place here. Zara was telling me about her attempts to hack the government."
Lena's gaze fixated on Melton.
Maya's eyes flicked to Zara, then back to Melton. "Zara's the best at what she does. If you can help her, it might be worth the risk of keeping you around."
Melton caught the hint of distrust beneath her words but chose to ignore it for now. "I'll do whatever I can. We need to know what we're up against."
Maya glanced at Zara, a silent conversation passing between them. "Alright. Zara, show him what you've got. Melton, see if you can use your System to help."
As Zara began to explain her setup, Melton's mind raced with possibilities. He examined the layers of encryption and firewalls she'd been working to breach, recognizing some of the tactics he'd encountered during his own hack.
"These look familiar," he mused. "They've got multiple redundancies, but there are patterns. If we can exploit those..."
Zara grinned. "That's what I was hoping to hear. Let's get to work."
For hours, they spoke over code and data streams, their combined skills probing deeper into the government's defenses. The rest of the group occasionally drifted in and out, offering words of encouragement or discussing their own roles in the rebellion.
Cass, the speedster, zipped by, dropping off coffee with a quick smile. "Keep at it, guys. You're doing great."
Lena, the empath, brought a calming presence, her soft voice reassuring Melton when he grew frustrated. "You're close, I can feel it. Don't give up."
Nadia, the illusionist, watched from a distance, her enigmatic smile suggesting she saw more than she let on. "Reality is malleable. Bend it to your will."
Darius, ever the supportive healer, checked in periodically. "Need any breaks? Remember to take care of yourselves."
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Melton and Zara made a breakthrough. The screen flashed with new data, files they'd never accessed before.
"We did it," Zara breathed, her eyes wide with excitement.
Melton scanned the files, his heart pounding. "This is it. Details on their enhanced agents, the origin of their powers, and... the project. They call it 'Erebus.'"
Maya stepped forward, her expression intense. "Erebus? What is it?"
Melton's eyes flicked over the screen, absorbing the information. "It's... an initiative to create superhumans. They're using the same technology that gave us our powers, but on a larger scale. They want an army of enhanced soldiers."
The room fell silent as the gravity of the situation sank in.
Zara broke the silence. "We need to expose this. The world has to know."
Maya nodded, her distrust momentarily overshadowed by determination. "You're right. We need to act fast. But Melton, we're trusting you with this information. Don't make us regret it."
Melton met her gaze, understanding the weight of her words. "I won't. We're in this together now."
Melton felt like he belonged for the first time since he'd come. There was renewed urgency in the fight against this tyrannical regime, and he had supporters here in this underground haven. Together, they would discover the truth and hopefully overthrow the powers who tried to keep them under control.