After Jay signed the contract, Leno left the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and the sound of his footsteps faded into the distance. Now, only the seven of them were left in the room.
The atmosphere was thick with uncertainty. Jay, still trying to process the gravity of the situation, looked around at the people who were now his teammates. There was an awkward silence, the kind that made even the most confident feel like they were standing on a tightrope.
Victor was the one who broke the tension. With a sly grin, he leaned forward in his chair and spoke up, his voice smooth but carrying a sense of authority. "Why don't we introduce ourselves properly? It's only fair, right? We're going to be working together."
He made eye contact with each of them in turn, his gaze lingering just a bit too long on Jay, as if silently daring him to speak. When Jay didn't respond, Victor gave a half-shrug and continued.
"I'll go first," he said, settling into his chair with an almost theatrical flair. "I'm Victor. Just Victor. I don't really remember much of my background, to be honest. But my agent name is Z. As for my abilities…" He paused dramatically, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "I'm a magician."
Jay couldn't help but let out a short, incredulous laugh. "You're saying you can do magic? What, are you a clown?"
Alina, who had been silently watching, shot him a sharp look. "Shut up, Jay. Let him show you."
Victor's smile never faltered as he raised his palm toward Jay. The room dimmed slightly as streaks of light began to swirl from his hand. They danced in the air, shimmering like some sort of ethereal thread, only to vanish into thin air seconds later.
Jay's skepticism was evident. "Nice tricks, but you're not fooling me." He crossed his arms and gave a dismissive wave.
But Victor's expression grew more serious, and in a swift movement, he pointed directly at Jay. A sharp streak of light shot out from his finger like an arrow, zipping past Jay's ear by mere inches. The air crackled with the energy of it, and Jay froze, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Okay, maybe you're not lying…" Jay muttered, his voice tinged with a mixture of awe and fear.
Victor simply smirked, his confidence unshaken. "Told you."
Next up was Alina. She leaned back in her chair, arms casually folded across her chest as she spoke. "I'm Alina. Originally from the Philippines, but now? Now I'm from everywhere." She shrugged nonchalantly, as if to emphasize her global nature.
Jay raised an eyebrow. "What's your power, then?"
Alina's lips curved into a mischievous grin. "Being pretty and hot. That's my power."
Jay blinked, clearly unsure whether she was joking. But Alina's eyes gleamed with a confidence that made it clear she wasn't entirely joking. Jay sighed, unsure how to respond to that.
The next introduction came from the smallest member of the team—Bomby. She seemed out of place with the rest of them, sitting so quietly and looking almost too innocent, yet her eyes gleamed with intelligence and something else... hidden potential.
"My real name's Kahanna," she said softly. "But unlike them…" She gestured vaguely toward the others. "I'm just a human. No fancy powers here."
Jay couldn't resist. "How old are you? You look like a kid."
She tilted her head, an amused smile playing on her lips. "I'm nine, but I'll be eighteen in nine years. So, don't worry about it. And don't underestimate me, because I'm young. My motivation to be here exceeds yours."
Alina laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "Kahanna has the highest headcounts among us. So, yeah, definitely don't underestimate her."
Jay blinked, unsure whether he should be impressed or frightened. Before he could ask more, the next member stood up.
The girl with the eyeglasses—Reign—was quieter than the rest. She didn't seem to fit in at first, almost socially incapable, but when she spoke, there was a sharpness in her words that couldn't be ignored.
"I'm Reign," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Just like Kahanna, I'm human, no powers here. But I'm good with anything electronics and computers. I serve as the intelligence of the team. For planning, tactics, and all that."
Jay nodded, trying to keep track of everyone's skills. He was starting to feel out of place among them.
Then, Leon stood up. He was tall and had a slightly disheveled look, like he didn't care much about appearances. His expression was light, carefree, even playful.
"I'm Leon. My guy!" He threw a peace sign toward Jay, but his next words came out quickly, almost in one breath. "I may not look like it, but I've got a power like Victor's. Just not as good as his, though. Haha!"
Before Jay could even process what was happening, Leon was gone. Just like that. In a blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of Jay, smiling wide and holding a bottle of soda in his hand.
"A soda for you. I stole it from a store kilometers away." Leon handed it over, clearly amused by Jay's confused expression.
Jay's mouth dropped open. "Wait, what?"
Leon laughed. "That's my power. I can run fast. Really fast. Haha."
Jay shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around what he had just seen. But before he could say anything else, another figure spoke up.
Andrei, standing casually by the wall, pushed himself off it and stepped forward. His calm demeanor was a stark contrast to Leon's energy.
"I'm Andrei," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I can turn anything into what I want. Manipulate anything I touch."
He looked at Jay for a moment before holding out his hand. "Hand me that soda."
Jay, still in shock, handed over the soda bottle. Andrei took it with a casual flick of his wrist, and in an instant, the soda bottle changed colors. It shimmered and warped until it became a bird. The bird flapped its wings and took flight, soaring toward the ceiling.
Jay's eyes widened. But before he could react, Kahanna, ever alert, pulled out a small pistol from her hoodie pocket. Without hesitation, she fired. The bullet struck the bird with deadly precision, piercing its eye, and the bird fell—dead—into Jay's hands.
Jay stood there, stunned, staring at the lifeless bird in his palms.
"That's my expertise," Kahanna said, her voice cool and steady, as though shooting down birds mid-flight was something she did every day.
Jay was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. Everyone had powers, crazy powers, and here he was—just a normal guy. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settling in.
"Okay," Jay said slowly, looking around at the group. "So, I guess I'm the last to introduce myself." He cleared his throat and tried to sound confident, though it came out more uncertain than he'd intended. "I'm Jay. Normal human. No powers."
Before he could continue, Alina cut him off with a laugh. "You are not human, boy. Haha."
Jay blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
At that exact moment, the door opened again, and Leno walked in. He was holding something in his hand—a necklace that glowed a scarlet red, pulsating softly like a heartbeat.
He gave them all a stern look before holding it up. "Okay, Team S.E.V.E.N.," Leno said, his voice steady and commanding. "This will be your first mission as a full team. You'll find out what this is soon enough, but for now, you need to be ready."
The room fell silent, all eyes on the glowing necklace in his hand. It was clear now that things were about to get real.