Four days had passed since the crash. Beth arrived at Adam's bar, staring up at the old sign: Fools and Drinks. She knocked. Adam had already been expecting her — she called a few minutes ago. The door swung open almost immediately.
"Good morning, Beth. What's the plan?" Adam asked.
Beth nodded in greeting and glanced around the bar. "The department finalized the composition of the new division. Right now, it has thirteen members. For flexibility, it's split into two squads — mine and Oliver's. Oliver's got seven, we have six."
Adam leaned against the doorway. "What about Sarah?"
"She's included in ours."
Adam nodded thoughtfully as he leads Beth inside for a seat. "I'm not sure if thirteen is a big number or not."
Beth sighed. "No, it's not. In fact, the total number of people with powers we've discovered in the city is twenty-seven."
Twenty-seven?! Adam thought, a little stunned.
"Some are minors," Beth continued. "Some are too tied up with their jobs. Others flat-out refused."
She pulled out her phone and showed him a set of images. "As for the escaped animals, most have been dealt with. Only five remain."
The screen showed five images: two tigers, a wolf, a brown bear, and a fox.
Beth pointed at the fox. "This one can be ignored. Only caused a few scratches — but it's hunting pets in the rich district, so, of course, the wealthy are demanding action."
She flicked to the image of the two tigers. "These two are the real threat. A male and female pair. Killed two officers and five civilians. They're now on the outskirts, attacking subdivision residents."
Then she focused on the brown bear. Adam thought it looked massive.
"This bear made camp in the abandoned subway tunnels south of the city. It hasn't killed any officers yet but it's massacred civilians. It shrugs off low-caliber bullets like they're nothing. Only high-caliber weapons do anything — and even then, barely. We suspect it has some kind of regeneration ability. Like you."
Like me, huh? Adam narrowed his eyes.
Finally, Beth pulled up the image of the wolf, her face darkening.
"This bastard is the worst."
Adam blinked. Beth almost never cursed.
"It's killed eight officers," she said grimly.
Adam froze. That was probably more than all the other animals combined.
"As for civilians... I don't even know the exact number anymore. It just keeps rising."
Beth scrolled through several images of the wolf. "It can sprint in short bursts at around a hundred kilometers per hour. It heals fast too. Worse, it doesn't kill just to eat — it kills for fun."
Adam felt his stomach knot.
Beth added, "It seems to recognize me. If it catches even a glimpse of me, it runs. I think it was part of the pack from the north subway station... and it saw me kill its kin."
Adam grunted at her words.
"The beasts are getting smarter," Beth finished.
Adam nodded slowly. "What's the plan today?"
Beth smiled thinly. "I'll introduce you to the squad. Only five of us today since Sarah's still recovering — she should be out in two days."
Adam nodded. He'd been bringing Sarah lunch every day since the crash. Ben, busy with work and school, could only visit in the mornings.
As they left, Adam glanced back at the bar.
I've gotten stronger over the past few days
I should be ready to fight now.
-----------------------------------------------------------
They arrived at a building right beside the police department. Adam raised an eyebrow.
"This is the division's current location," Beth explained. "Still a rental for now. Come on, I'll introduce you."
A receptionist greeted them at the entrance. "Good morning, Ma'am Beth."
Beth returned the greeting and led Adam upstairs to the second floor. She opened a door, revealing a group of men inside.
One middle-aged man was pumping a barbell, muscles bulging. He radiated discipline, his black hair trimmed into a sharp crew cut. Another man lazily watched him while sipping soda, his shoulder-length black hair messy and unkempt. In the back, a third figure—slim, bespectacled, and buried in a laptop—typed furiously, his shaggy brown hair falling over his eyes.
A real motley crew, Adam thought.
The man lifting weights put the barbell down and walked over. He greeted Beth before looking Adam up and down.
"He's one of ours?"
Beth nodded. "Yes. His name's Adam. He'll be second-in-command. If I'm not around, you'll follow his orders."
Adam blinked in surprise. Second-in-command?
The lazy man raised his hand. "Can I challenge him for that spot?"
Beth shot him down immediately. "No."
She clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention.
"Everyone's here. We'll begin introductions," she said.
The guy with the laptop raised his hand.
"There's supposed to be six," he pointed out.
Beth nodded. "There is. She's currently hospitalized from a work-related accident. She'll be discharged in a few days. We need to move forward with only five for now — the hunt for the rabid animals can't wait."
Beth took a step forward. "I'll start. I'm Bethany Green, sergeant in the Wist City Police Department. My ability is enhanced shooting accuracy."
The lazy guy whistled.
Beth gave him a sharp look.
The rest stared at him in annoyance or indifference.
He chuckled. "Since everyone's staring, I'll go next. Name's Jackie. I like older women... and grape juice." He grinned. "My power? Being better than you. No, seriously. I'm practically unbeatable in hand-to-hand combat. Can't shoot lasers or fly though. Shame."
Adam glanced at Beth for confirmation at his words. She nodded.
The middle-aged man spoke up next. "Arnold. Retired firefighter. Joined to save lives again. My power is speed."
Jackie snorted. "Doesn't sound very flashy, old man."
Arnold calmly replied, "I can hit over 100 kph in a sprint. Maximum speed, haven't measured it yet."
Jackie let out a low whistle. "Okay, that's flashy."
A speedster, Adam thought, impressed.
Adam stepped forward. "I'm Adam. Bar owner and bartender. I can heal from any wounds."
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Any wounds? What if your head's blown off? Or if you get shredded to pieces?"
Adam hesitated. "I don't know. I haven't tested it."
Jackie chuckled to himself.
The last guy closed his laptop and stood. "Peter. I can summon an ice spear."
Jackie leaned forward. "How far can you hurl it? And how many can you summon?"
Peter answered coolly, "Effective range, thirty meters. I don't have to throw it. It flies by itself. But only one spear per summon."
"And the impact?" Jackie pressed.
Peter replied, "Sharp icicle bursts on impact. Area freezes too. Effects vary depending on the surface."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully.
Two frontline fighters. A speedster. Two ranged supporters. Our squad's actually pretty well-balanced, Adam thought as he remembered Sarah's power. Then a joker card.
Beth walked toward another room, her office, leaving behind a simple instruction. "Get yourselves ready. We move out in thirty minutes."
Everyone gave a sound or gesture of acknowledgment. Arnold, the muscular man, went to the fridge to grab a drink. Adam thought to himself, Might as well sit and check the news.
He had barely opened his phone when a voice called out to him.
"Hey, how's your bar?" Jackie asked casually, still sipping his soda.
Adam hesitated before answering, "Business is pretty slow these days. But we still have a few regulars."
Jackie hummed thoughtfully, then let him be. Adam turned his attention back to his phone.
Still the same news: chaos spreading through the city and across the country. One article reported that the rat infestation on that one city had finally been dealt with. There's also a lot of articles about missing people, particulary children. Another mentioned that the Guzan Border War remained cold, with no major updates.
Curious, Adam browsed international news. The United Freedom Federation was riddled with riots. The Axia Dynasty was still caught up in internal feuds among its Ten Families.
Hmm? Adam paused. The Moros Empire has declared martial law?
He tapped the article. Apparently, the wealthy elite of the Moros Empire had a habit of keeping exotic and dangerous animals as pets. Now those same creatures were running rampant across major cities. Adam even watched a video of an elephant smashing its way through a skyscraper.
Damn. Good thing the rich folks here just like small critters, Adam thought, shaking his head.
As he kept scrolling, Beth finally emerged from her office. The room snapped to attention as everyone looked up.
"We've got our assignment," she said, voice sharp and clear. "Let's move out."