The ground shook with each punch. Leighton dodged a killer blow from Risham and countered the second punch. Risham’s fist shattered a steel wall, missing Leighton’s head. Leighton grappled Risham’s arm, elbowed him in the face, and flipped him to the floor. Risham fired a green energy blast.

Leighton dodged the blast as it incinerated a wall panel. Smoke simmered through the opening. 

Leighton rocketed upward with a punch to Risham’s face, shattering his jaw, blood and teeth scattering. He drove Risham back down onto the concrete. Risham staggered back up. His crimson eyes burned into Leighton as green energy flowed throughout his body. 

Risham leapt in the air, tackled Leighton, and thrashed his face with heavy blows. Leighton countered and kneed Risham in the stomach and flipped him over the table. Risham rose up and countered Leighton’s punches. His eyes narrowed when he punched Leighton hard. Risham took him by the neck and slammed Leighton against the steel wall as it folded around him.

A bolt of purple lightning and shadow tendrils held Risham. Leighton fell, regaining his breath as his thermal vision flickered. Spark and Black arrived holding Risham down. Spark increased his lightning output as he strode forward. Black Guard expanded the shadow tendrils.

With superspeed, Leighton yanked the Metric Gloves from Risham’s hands. Leighton crushed the gloves. Risham gritted his teeth as green aura flared around his fists, shattering the shadow tendrils restraining him. Spark kept firing purple lightning from his hands.

Leighton picked up Level as Black Guard threw a stun grenade, blinding Risham’s sight as they escaped. 

Spark got behind the wheel of the van while everyone was inside. Tires burned asphalt as they took off. Leighton checked on Level’s pulse.

“He’s still alive,” Leighton said. “Thanks for having my back.”

Black Guard smirked. “We can’t let you have all the fun.”

“We head back to headquarters. I have a feeling Risham is not done with this city,” Leighton said, looking through the window.

“Spark, thanks for the assist,” Leighton said.

Spark gripped the steering wheel. “I’m down with you, Leighton. Saving Level was not what I signed up for.”

“You may not see Level’s potential but I do,” Leighton said.

“Don’t come crying to me if he gets you all killed,” Spark said.

“Give him a break, Spark,” Black Guard said. 

Level’s eyes opened as he regained consciousness. “Where am I? Roleplay? Deadlock? Where are they?”

“You’re safe. We saved you,” Leighton said.

“I didn’t want to be saved, Leighton. You had no right,” Level said. 

“If I wasn’t there, Risham would’ve killed you,” Leighton said.

“So what? That makes us even?” Level said.

“You play an important role in this fight,” Leighton said.

“You’re too naive to see that this war is futile,” Level said.

“With enough numbers we can defeat Risham,” Leighton said. 

Level grew silent, staring at the dark sky.

Hours later, avoiding drones, Leighton, Spark, Black Guard, and Level reached the underground train station. 

Dr. Kinsinka mapped out checkpoints for future raids to save metahumans. Mira hacked databases uncovering encrypted files on Risham’s operations.

Black Guard went to Mira. 

“Is everything okay?” Black Guard asked.

Mira looked up from the laptop. “I’m okay just hacking a database. Breaking firewalls is like eating cake. How are you?”

“Survived Risham, the unusual,” Black Guard said, leaning closer to Mira.

“I am glad you made it back in one piece,” Mira said.

Black Guard smiled. “Me too.”

“What do we have doc?” Leighton asked.

“Six checkpoints housing six hundred metahumans,” Dr. Kinsinka said. 

“Siphon, Arc, and Smoke Screen are heading to one checkpoint to free metahumans,” Mira said, typing on her keyboard.

“What about those areas?” Leighton said, pointing to the dots next to the map.

“These two dots contain seven hundred prisoners each,” Dr. Kinsinka said, zooming in on the diagram.

Level crossed his arms. “You think you get everyone out between those two prisons.”

Leighton patted his shoulder. “That’s where you come in.”

Level shrugged his hand. “My hero days are long gone, Leighton.”

“Deep down, I know you want to do the right thing,” Leighton said.

Level frowned, gripping his fist. “I told you before. I’m no hero.”

Level strode out of the room. 

“Where are you going?” Leighton asked.

Level’s foot hit the step.“To find Roleplay and Deadlock if they are still alive.”

Leighton sighed. “Unbelievable.”

“I’m glad he’s gone,” Spark said.

A special news report blared on the TV. Senator Risham took a stand at a podium. Cameras and microphones primed.

“Citizens of Delta City. I am here to announce that soon all metahumans will be rehabilitated with the new chip implants that would prohibit power use. A new age is upon us. With this technology, the world will be a better place.”

The people applauded. Leighton’s eyes fixed on Risham. His hands clenched together. “If he wants a war, I will give him one.”