Alexander stood before the rectangular holographic screen, its soft blue glow casting light across his sharp features. With a swift swipe of his hand, he navigated through a series of encrypted files until his fingers paused over one labeled "Loric Blooded."
He tapped it.
Instantly, the interface transformed. Four thumbnail portraits blinked into view—each a striking image of someone in a hero's garb. One bore the name Black Lightning, another Banshee, the third Cyclone, and the last, simply: Jumpers.
With a fluid, almost ritualistic gesture, Alexander pressed all ten fingertips against the screen. A low pulse vibrated through the air. Then—whoosh—he flung his arms outward.
The portraits expanded and launched into the room, morphing into towering volumetric windows. Each became a dynamic dossier, swirling with videos, data streams, and biometric signatures. They hovered like phantom sentinels, bathing the room in shifting light and digital hum.
Alexander turned his head, voice calm but commanding."You might want to hear this."
The others gathered, their eyes drawn to the surreal spectacle before them. The windows flickered with scenes: a man conjuring lightning from his hands, a woman soaring above a roaring cyclone, another letting loose a scream that shattered concrete, and figures vanishing in midair with a blur of light.
Henri stepped forward, his eyes narrowing on the man in the dark blue-and-black mask channeling Electrokinesis."That is the legacy of Elecomun," he muttered, almost reverently.
Crayton leaned toward Ella, who currently wore her seven-year-old form."Your mother carried that legacy," he whispered.
Ella gave a small, wistful smile, nodding quietly. A flicker of emotion crossed her youthful face—something far older than her appearance.
Meanwhile, Sandor's breath caught as he watched the woman unleash a scream that split a wall. He murmured under his breath, the name escaping like a ghost."Devktra."
Henri's gaze moved to another window, this one showing a girl suspended above a hurricane, arms spread wide, taming the storm."That... looks like your father's legacy," he said to Four. "Sturma."
Six narrowed her eyes. The cyclone mirrored her own power—too closely to ignore.
Katrina, her brow furrowed, asked the obvious question."Who are they?"
Alexander gestured toward the glowing projections."Loric descendants," he said. "After the footage of Four using his powers leaked online, the internet exploded with theories about superhumans. These are the ones caught on camera—people who couldn't hide fast enough."
Henri cast Four a sharp look, and Four, feeling the weight of unintended consequences, lowered his gaze in discomfort. While Sarah held his hand in comfort.
Alexander continued, voice steady, tone informative."Some of them believe their powers are a gift. A purpose. They chose to act—to help—becoming vigilantes."
He pointed to the footage of a man stopping a robbery with a blast of lightning.
"Jefferson Pierce. Black Lightning. First appeared in Georgia, 1994. Extremely powerful. Helped his community for years before disappearing. This is the only verified footage of him using his ability. I suspect it was his first night out—before he built a team. After that, it was like he became a ghost. Cameras failed. Witnesses forgot. His electrokinesis affects short-term memory, making him nearly impossible to trace."
He looked at the others, then added, "The Mogadorians thought he was Garde. They tried to track him. I made sure they couldn't."
Another gesture, another video: a young woman suspended above a raging storm, then diving into its eye and silencing the chaos.
"Maxine Hunkel. Cyclone. Vigilante tendencies. Clearly has a support team—someone helping her stay off-grid. At first, people thought the video was fake—until the Mogs found it. I wiped her digital trail and sent her a warning. She disappeared soon after."
Then came the final projection—a woman in legal robes outside a courthouse, then in costume, her scream peeling paint from the walls."Dinah Lance. A lawyer. Fierce advocate for justice. One of the few who fights both in court and on the streets. She got the same warning. She listened."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then Hilde broke the silence.
"I've seen some of these videos... Thought they were hoaxes. Urban legends. Conspiracies."
Alexander's expression was unreadable as he replied."They were real. And they're not alone."
Dante, arms crossed and brow furrowed, looked to Alexander, confusion written across his face.
"How are there this many Loric descendants on Earth? And why hasn't anyone ever talked about it? No whispers, no history, nothing."
Alexander offered a nonchalant shrug.
"My guess? The so-called 'mythical gods' of old were probably just Loric descendants—people whose powers awakened at the right—or wrong—time. But they were still mortal. As centuries passed, things like witch trials, inquisitions... any hint of something 'unnatural' got snuffed out fast. Those who awakened? They learned to hide. Now, with the world more stable and connected, they're starting to emerge again."
The group exchanged glances, the weight of centuries of silence settling over them.
Adelina tilted her head, thoughtful.
"I've been wondering... should we reach out to the Aegis Marshals? Maybe they could help us."
Sandor scoffed, loud and dismissive.
"Those fence-sitters? Don't count on it."
Curiosity sparked in the Garde's eyes. Six leaned forward.
"What's the Aegis?"
Katrina answered without hesitation, voice clear and clipped.
"The Aegis is the intergalactic police force. They keep order, enforce law across the stars. Their base is on Orous, but they have Marshals stationed on countless worlds."
Seven—Marina—tilted her head, confused.
"Then why didn't they help Lorien?"
Four echoed the question.
"Yeah... if they're meant to protect people, where were they when our world was being destroyed?"
The Cepans shared a tense, silent look. Henri finally broke it with a weary sigh.
"Because they're limited. Sounds grand—'intergalactic police'—but their authority only goes so far. Against civilizations like the Mogadorians? Or the Entitled? They're... restrained."
Three—Hannu—raised an eyebrow.
"Entitled?"
Henri's tone turned colder, laced with disdain.
"Nobility. Royalty. The richest and most powerful beings in the galaxy. They're from old bloodlines—each family ruling their own industries, their own armies... even their own star systems. Some run entire interstellar empires. And yes, they're called the Entitled."
Alexander nodded, already familiar with them thanks to intel from Hilde and others.
Katrina, arms folded tightly, muttered under her breath."They're worse than the Mogadorians in some ways."
The Garde looked around, sensing the bitterness and disgust in their Cepans' expressions.
Freya—Number One—voiced what they were all thinking."Why? What makes them worse?"
Again, a silent consensus passed through the Cepans. Henri stepped forward to explain."There's a substance called RegeneX created by these Entitled families. It regenerates dying cells, extends lifespan indefinitely. Entitled families use it to stay young, powerful... immortal, even."
He paused."But its production has a price."
The room tensed.
"To create just a single portion," Henri continued, "you need the harvested bio-matter of a hundred living beings. A hundred lives... for one dose."
A collective shiver passed through the room. The Garde stared, stunned. Sarah clutched her arms as if the cold had suddenly crept in.
"They don't just find planets," Henri added bitterly. "They buy them. Seed them with life. And once that life reaches maturity..."
He didn't need to finish.
Four stepped forward, voice tight.
"No one stops them?"
Henri shook his head."To stop the production of RegeneX is to declare war on the these major Entitled families. They have weapons beyond comprehension, entire fleets. Even the Aegis tread lightly around them. And legally... they're protected. They own the planets they harvest."
The horror was palpable. Disgust, outrage, disbelief—it rippled through everyone in the room. Griffin and Sam looked sick. Malcolm turned away. Ella looked haunted.
Then Sarah's voice broke the silence, quiet and trembling.
"Does Earth... belong to any of them?"
Henri exchanged glances with the other Cepans. Then, solemnly, he spoke.
"No. Earth belongs to the Lorien Elders. And since you, the Garde, are their heirs..."
He looked directly at Four, then to Ella and Alexander.
"You hold the deed to Earth. It's your inheritance."
Stunned silence followed. The Garde looked between each other, trying to process the weight of what that meant. Now they knew Alexander was connected to one of the original Elders. Thus he was the very possible heir.
Sam finally broke the tension.
"So... we're safe? Earth won't be harvested?"
Katrina answered firmly.
"No. The Elders ensured Earth would remain free. We value life. We don't deal in genocide."
Hilde looked to Alexander, her expression softened with admiration. "That's why your discovery of the medical pod was so surprising. It mirrors RegeneX... but without the need for mass death. If it's introduced to the galactic market, it could destroy RegeneX production entirely."
Everyone turned to Alexander with a new kind of respect.
He held their gaze, then shrugged.
"Like they'd ever let that happen. Too many have too much to lose."
Sandor nodded grimly."The second it gets out, they'll come for you. Assassins. Mercs. Anyone they can throw at you."
The Cepans murmured in agreement. The threat was real.
Alexander let out a slow breath, steady and sure."We'll deal with that later. First, we finish the fight with the Mogadorians."