I hadn't been expecting this.
I had been tirelessly searching for the perfect member to join my team, but nothing came up. My search was fruitless, and the weight of the silence pressing down on me was heavy. I needed someone strong. Someone who could help me make good on the promise I'd made to Zeff and Yuki.
Then my phone rang.
"Hello, Father," I answered quickly.
"Lena, the President wants to see you. You need to come here immediately," he said without ceremony, and the line went dead.
Without hesitation, I followed his orders. I had no idea why I was needed there, but my mind couldn't shake the nagging sense that it was important. My father's words always carried weight, and when the President was involved, it was never something trivial.
When I arrived, I was greeted with the usual formalities—praise for my actions in Silverwood, for saving the city from its inevitable collapse. They all seemed pleased with me, but my mind was focused elsewhere.
I walked into the President's office, where he sat with my father. Both of them were sipping tea, like this was any other day. My father gave me a warm smile, the kind he always wore when something big was about to happen.
"I heard you're making a new team," the President said, cutting straight to the point. His voice was smooth, controlled, as always.
I froze. A shiver ran down my spine, and my gaze shifted to my father. He just smiled, his expression unreadable. My stomach tightened.
"Yes, I am. But I was curious—why did you call me here?" I asked, trying to mask the nerves beneath my calm exterior.
The President took a sip of tea, the clink of the cup against the saucer punctuating the silence. He set it down, then reached for a remote on the table. "Well, I have a recommendation for you."
He clicked the remote, and the TV screen flickered to life.
I was taken aback.
The footage showed thousands of soldiers, armed and ready for battle, standing before a dark figure in a strange suit. The man was unscathed, untouched by the storm of bullets that rained down on him. He dodged each shot effortlessly, like it was nothing. Then, the screen suddenly shook as the man looked directly at the camera, his eyes piercing through the lens. In a split second, he crushed the camera with a single motion, and the screen went black.
I stared at the empty TV, my mind racing.
The President didn't let the silence hang for long. "If you want him, you'll have to find him. He recently escaped from prison. Your father believes you may be able to control him. So, I'm giving him to you."
The words hit me like a freight train.
I stood frozen. The idea of controlling someone so powerful—it felt like a dream, something impossible. But this was real. This man, this force of nature, could be the key to fulfilling my promise.
I felt a rush of conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to turn away from it, to walk away and keep searching for a better option. But I knew that this was the chance I'd been waiting for. This could be the person who would help me achieve everything I set out to do.
I immediately bowed before the President. "Thank you. I won't let you down."
"Don't thank me yet," he said with a smile. "Now, go find him. Time is of the essence."
I left the office in a daze. The weight of what I had just been told hung over me. I pinched myself repeatedly, checking if this was all some kind of dream. But no—everything felt real. Too real.
And then, it hit me: this was it. This was how I could fulfill the promise I made to Zeff.
"I can do it," I whispered to myself, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'll make this world a better place. I'll keep my promise."
I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing the realization to settle. Then, I jumped in excitement, a laugh escaping me as I realized I had just taken a huge step toward achieving my goal.
Zeff trusted me. And now, I had the chance to make it happen.