Gluevale bustled with life after the kaijus' attack. Superheroes had limited the damage, with only a few buildings destroyed, which took two and a half weeks to rebuild.

Janice had joined Tim's agency while Saint-Max quit, citing needing a break to figure out some personal things. Tim hadn't questioned him, saying the door was always open for him to return.

Janice took the hero tests and became the 45th Class-1 superhero in Gluevale. She and Tim spent most of their time doing interviews, answering questions on how he convinced Boombox to join him, and why she refused an offer from Greg, Xia Li's fiancé and owner of the top hero management company in the city.

Life was good for them. But soon, Janice would have to play her part in saving the world.

Saint-Max entered The Savior's Restaurant, owned by White Savior Jr., the top-ranked superhero in Gluevale. He picked the booth at the back and sat near the window. Outside, a van passed at such a high speed, followed by a superhero in a grey and blue super suit, and a police squad.

I could stop the van and no one will know it was me, Saint-Max thought but erased the idea with the shake of his head.

"May I get your order?" A waitress had appeared at his table. She wore the green and grey uniform of the restaurant and a fake smile.

"What's the meal of the day?" he asked.

"Curry rice and chicken katsu."

His mouth salivated. It felt like years passed since he last ate chicken katsu. "I want that. And a large glass of mixed fruit."

The waitress wrote it down in her small notebook.

Saint-Max turned to the TV mounted behind the counter, showing the news. Diana Lopez, leader of Tombstone Police: Peculiar Division, stood behind a podium, ready to address the media:

"First, I'd like to thank superheroes from other cities who helped Tombstone get back on its feet. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible. Second, we've arrested all the priests seen in the leaked videos, and they'll face proper punishment. No one is above the law, not when I'm the Chief of Police."

"What about The Watchdogs?" a reporter asked. "Some people are calling them heroes for exposing the truth about these priests."

"The deputy and I were on the verge of exposing them before these terrorists did. It doesn't make them heroes. In case anyone forgot, they destroyed our city, costing us billions in repair. They don't get to be the good guys by releasing stolen footage. I won't allow it. The dome killed many people and caused permanent injuries to others. They'll answer for their crimes. I promise you that."

Ever since she got promoted to Chief of Police, Diana Lopez dedicated her life to catching The Watchdogs, or die trying. What would happen when she found out there was a clone of her wife out there? Would she risk her career to find her? Or would she still focus on the terrorists?

The reporters tried to ask more questions, but Diana Lopez waved them off and left. The screen then changed to images of the six members of The Watchdogs, showing their birth names, hero names, and known abilities below.

"Here's your order." The waitress returned with two plates and a large glass of juice, placing them on the table. One had curry and the other chicken katsu. "Enjoy." She smiled before leaving.

A few minutes passed before three people in black hoodies joined Saint-Max. Two sat opposite him, while the other took his side. It offended him at first, seeing as there were many unoccupied booths.

Then the strangers pulled back their hoodies, revealing their faces.

Saint-Max's eyes widened. It's them. They're finally here.

Parasite and Revision sat in front of him, while Bolt settled beside him. Behemoth, Mind-Thorn, and Pyro Storm were nowhere to be seen. It was smart of them to not be there. In a city like Gluevale, where nosy people filled each sidewalk and alley, they would've identified the six.

Dr. Iness had said The Watchdogs would find him in a month or two. While waiting, he secretly protected Bastion residents while running the antique shop. Then on the last day of month two, he went to the restaurant with a few customers during the day... Just in case.

"You're the terrorists from the news," Saint-Max said.

"Yes, we are," Bolt said with a chuckle. "Diana's playing her role to perfection."

What does he mean by that? Saint-Max continued, "What do you want from me?" He didn't want to alert them he knew they'd come for him.

Bolt grabbed the plate with chicken katsu and started eating. "Good question," he said while chewing. "Parasite, will you do the honors?"

Saint-Max turned to Parasite and Revision and caught them eating his curry. "Hey!" The pair looked at him. "That's mine." He had eaten little before they interrupted him.

"We saw your video," Parasite said.

"Which video?"

"The one in which you compared the top-ranked heroes to villains."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that," Bolt said, his eyes gleaming with mischief. Then he pointed a piece of chicken at Saint-Max. "Don't feel bad about it. You were right. Power corrupts those at the top, and it's our responsibility to stop them."

"Our responsibility?"

Bolt put his arm around Saint-Max's shoulder, the piece of chicken still in his hand. "Who else? If there are a thousand bad superheroes and a million good ones, but the good ones do nothing to stop the bad ones, then there are one million and a thousand bad superheroes."

"I see your point."

"Really?" Bolt glanced at Parasite and Revision—they shrugged at him—then back at Saint-Max. "Wow, it seems I'm good at explaining things."

"You aren't," Revision said.

"How do you know?"

"We grew up together."

"So? People grow up together all the time and they still never see it coming when one of them becomes a serial killer."

"Are you a serial killer?"

"Depends on who you ask."

"Fair point."

Bolt had disappeared for ten years, no one knowing where he went or why he left the hero business. Then he showed up out of nowhere, killed Captain Tombstone, and bombed the churches employing pedophile priests, which destroyed Tombstone City.

It didn't take a genius to see how different he was compared to his younger self. Saint-Max was a fan of his as a child, loving the fact a black boy from a poor neighborhood made it to the big leagues with everything stacked against him. After finding out the man was a terrorist, he stopped being a fan.

But now that he knew what Bolt fought for, he sided with him again. The man was the epitome of vigilantism; the one thing governments hated the most.

To think he's only five years older than me, Saint-Max thought. "You never answered my question."

"We want you to join us," Parasite said.

"And become a terrorist?"

"No. A—"

"Vigilante?"

"Yes." Parasite smiled.

"You want to bring that word back, huh?"

"It's a cool word. Superhero and supervillain don't fit people like us," Bolt replied.

"You're also the missing piece in our team," Revision added. "Not only do you share our beliefs, but you're a speedster. There are things only you can do."

I'm not a speedster. Saint-Max spent the last two months trying to figure out how to activate his copycat abilities without being in a deadly situation. But no matter what he tried, he failed. On the bright side, he had copied Dr. Iness' time manipulation ability without knowing, adding to his two primary powers. If he only knew how to use it.

"We need you for what's coming," Revision said.

"What's coming?" Saint-Max asked, rhetorically.

"The end of the world."

"Are you sure?"

"I saw it."

"Right, you're a clairvoyant."

"You could say that."

"It's what the media says." Saint-Max shrugged.

"Do you accept our offer or not?" Bolt asked.

"I accept."

The three vigilantes widened their eyes, glancing at each other as if they had misheard him.

"Revision saw you saying no, but we had to try anyway," Bolt said.

"I want to be on the right side of history. I'm ready to fight for the world and its people."

Bolt patted the unranked hero's back. "Wonderful speech." He turned to his fellows. "I like him."

"Me too," Revision said.

"Same," Parasite added.

"When do we leave?" Saint-Max added.

"After we eat. Your food wasn't enough," Bolt said, then called the waitress. The three covered their faces with their hoodies before she arrived.

A warm feeling crossed Saint-Max's chest as the three vigilantes placed their orders. His hands trembled with excitement, eagerly awaiting to see what lay ahead. With him accepting their offer, he had already changed the future for the better.

He had seen himself live long enough to become the villain. Now, he wanted to save the world, or die trying.

Total Words: 21,405.

The End.