The briefing room was dim, the air thick with anticipation. Outside, the storm was nearing, but inside Vanguard Base, time seemed to stand still. Nilo Finnegan sat at the table, his hands clasped together, mind whirling. His thoughts, always accelerated by his unique ability, raced faster than his body could keep up with. The gravity of the mission ahead weighed on him, but there was also a thrill that buzzed just beneath the surface.

  Today wasn’t just another covert strike. This was a chance to prove something.

  Beside him sat his squadmates: Byron "Atlas" Morgan, the towering force who had been by his side since the beginning, his stoic presence as steady as ever; Noa “Vox” Quinn, the songstress that could really kill with her voice; and Rohan “Absorber” Brownings, the coolheaded pretty guy, whose mind Nilo could never get a read on.

  They were the Genesis Batch, along with 13 others, the original creation. The first Stellar Soldiers who were born of the world’s need for something more than human soldiers. They were no longer ordinary, and everyone knew it. Of the 300 seeds that were chosen, only 17 remained who successfully became metahumans.

  The squad was about to embark on a high-stakes mission—a covert strike against a rogue faction in Archelaeus, a country that had begun experimenting with Stellar Soldier technology, using stolen data from their own research. Nilo’s eyes narrowed as he read the mission details on the screen in front of him. The mission was simple: eliminate the threat before it could escalate, before the world knew the truth about the Stellar Soldiers and their powers.

  The briefing was given by their handler: Codenamed Overwatch.

  “The rogue faction had created a new kind of soldier—one that could rival the Genesis Batch’s abilities. The data was being used to create enhancements, but the researchers crossed a line of danger by using incomplete data on live subjects, as such they could no longer be allowed to exist. The Genesis Batch had been tasked with this mission of extermination, failure is not an option.”

  Nilo let out a slow breath, his hand instinctively going to the bracelet on his wrist—a marker of his power. The S-Factor pulsed beneath his skin, resonating with his thoughts. His ability borne from the Stellar Factor were unusual flames, which changed colors depending on his emotions and had different effects. The flames flickered faintly, casting an eerie green light across his hand. He wasn’t sure if it was excitement or the weight of responsibility, but his flames were always a sign that something important was about to happen.

  "We're in position," Lynn’s voice cut through the comms, sharp and steady. "Prepare for insertion."

  ---

  High above the clouds, a black aircraft broke through the twilight silence, its hull matte and scarless despite what it had endured. No insignia, no flags. Only a faint emblem etched on the wing — a burning star cradled by two crossed swords.

  The squad’s transport descended rapidly toward the outskirts of Archelaeus’ capital. Nilo could feel the change in the air as they neared the drop zone. His thoughts sped up, calculating possible outcomes, analyzing the most efficient strategies. The city spread out below them—a sprawling mass of lights and concrete, unaware of the threat that loomed just beyond its borders.

  The Covert Operations Squad was built for this. They were trained for precision, for stealth, and for eliminating threats before they ever knew the squad had arrived.

  "Lifefire, this is Overwatch. You’re clear for insertion," Lynn’s voice crackled in his ear.

  Nilo didn’t hesitate. He leapt from the transport, his boots hitting the ground with barely a sound. He was on the move before anyone else, his body already shifting into the fluid motion of a soldier who had done this a thousand times.

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  Behind him, the rest of the team followed seamlessly. Byron, his massive form almost blending into the night, was a hulking shadow. Rohan, always vigilant, took up the rear, ensuring that no one would fall behind. They were a unit—a living, breathing machine.

  As Nilo moved through the dark alleys of Archelaeus, the sounds of the city muted by the adrenaline pumping through his veins, a flood of memories hit him. The training, the endless days and nights of pushing their bodies and minds to the breaking point.

  "No more weaknesses. No more hesitation."

  The words of Alec Griffin, their instructor, echoed in Nilo’s mind as if they had been spoken just yesterday. It had been brutal, the way they were pushed beyond their limits, but it was what had shaped them into the soldiers they were now.

  Back in the training facility, Byron had been the first to step up, towering over the rest of the squad like a living mountain. He’d taken on Alec’s toughest challenges without flinching. Nilo had been the quiet strategist, outthinking every single one of them and finding ways to turn the odds in their favor. And then there was Rohan, the one who had set the bar. His energy absorption ability had been nothing short of miraculous, but it had come with a dark price. Nilo still remembered the way Rohan’s powers had evolved after that fateful mission—the day he had absorbed a nuclear blast.

  "You’re here to be more than just soldiers," Alec had told them during one of their final drills. "You’re here to be the future of warfare."

  ---

  The squad continued to move in silence, their objectives clear. Lynn had already mapped out their route, her drones sending real-time data to each of them, giving them the advantage of knowing every angle before they even reached it.

  As they neared the rogue faction’s compound, the tension in the air grew. Nilo’s heartbeat quickened. His powers, tied to his emotions, always seemed to surge when he was close to combat. His green flames flickered more intensely, like a warning to those around him.

  It wasn’t long before they encountered their first obstacle: a guard post. The enemy soldiers were equipped with similar technology—armor that could withstand minor attacks. They weren’t expecting the infiltrators to be from the Genesis Batch, though.

  The sound of gunfire broke the silence, shattering the calm of the mission. A second guard post, hidden in the shadows, had opened fire, and Nilo’s thoughts instantly accelerated.

  "Ambush!" Rohan’s voice barked through the comms. "Take cover!"

  In an instant, Nilo reacted. His mind raced through the possibilities, analyzing the angles of attack. He spun on his heel, summoning his Flames to create a barrier of green flame that deflected the incoming rounds. His heart pounded in his chest as he concentrated, the flames weaving around him like an extension of his will.

  Byron was the first to engage. His massive form surged forward, a titan unleashed, and the enemy’s heavy weapons did nothing to slow him down. Rohan, even in the chaos, stayed calm, absorbing the enemy’s energy blasts and redirecting them back into the battlefield, leaving the enemies stunned and disoriented.

  Nilo didn’t wait for an invitation. His accelerated thoughts allowed him to predict their movements, and he cut through the ambush like a blade. Overwatch’s drones provided constant surveillance, mapping the layout and pinpointing the enemy's weaknesses. Every shot they fired hit its target, and within moments, the ambush was neutralized.

  With the enemies dispatched, the squad moved into the rogue faction’s compound. The mission was nearly complete. They located the research lab—the heart of the threat—and secured the data, ensuring that it would never reach the wrong hands. The researchers were disposed off consequently.

  “Its really scary how emotionless Nilo looks like when killing no?” Byron nudged Rohan standing next to him.

  “He’s not emotionless, its just… buried deep down in his heart.” Tala, one of the Genesis Batch members told Byron off.

  “Hurry up and clean up the area, your extraction will commence in 5 minutes.”

  “Yes our dearest Overwatch we will hurry up.” Byron jokingly replied to the comms.

  As the squad prepared for extraction, Nilo took a moment to let the adrenaline ebb away. His green flames flickered out, leaving only a faint glow around his hands. The world felt quieter, the mission now complete. Yet, the weight of the world remained on his shoulders.

  "Mission accomplished," Overwatch’s voice came through, calm and efficient, as always.

  Nilo nodded. He didn’t need to say anything. His team knew what came next: extraction.

  As the transport arrived to take them back to base, Nilo’s mind raced once more. There was always something more to learn, although this mission was relatively successful, they have many blunders to take note and improve upon. There are more fights they will be a part of by choosing this life.

  But for now, he allowed himself the briefest of moments to rest.