Carl Vincent, better known by his hero name Magnograv, sat quietly but uncomfortably in a sleek, high-tech room filled with masked individuals. Internally, he was panicking, though he tried not to show it. His eyes flitted between the five imposing figures before him, each wearing a unique, intimidating suit that radiated power. In his mind, they towered over him like titans, exuding a violent, pressuring aura as they looked down at him with silent judgment.
Optics, sensing his discomfort, offered a gentle smile. "Magnograv, just calm down. It's just a meeting. There's no need to feel so pressured."
Carl didn't respond, but he thought to himself, Easy for you to say.
From his perspective, the scene was overwhelming—five mysterious people in elaborate masks, all seemingly larger than life, staring him down like he was under a spotlight. He didn't know what to make of the situation, nor how he was supposed to fit into it.
Elementrion, another member of the group, spoke next. "He's just feeling nervous. It's not every day you attend a meeting with people you've never met before."
Optics turned his attention to the holographic screens suspended around them. "Anyways," he began, "that's all for the recent incidents. As you can see, Magnograv is in our care, along with Sia Martins."
One of the holographic faces nodded. "That's good to hear. With no other pressing issues at hand, we have come to the end of this meeting."
The screens blinked off simultaneously, disappearing in a flash of soft light.
Carl shifted awkwardly. "Uhm… did I show up too late or something?"
Elementrion replied, "No, you're right on time."
Optics turned toward the group. "Then let's begin the I.P.F. meeting."
Link, a voice from the team, jumped in. "The first thing on today's agenda is the introduction of Magnograv into the I.P.F."
Carl blinked in confusion. "Say what?! What do you mean into the I.P.F.?!"
Optics answered calmly. "We, the members of the Integrated Power Forces, have made the decision to add you to the team."
Standing up abruptly, Carl's nerves spilled into his voice. "Honestly, I'm honored to be considered, but are you really sure you want me on the team?! I'll be real with you—the whole situation with that alien guy was personal."
Elementrion raised a hand, his voice steady. "Personal or not, when the space engineer fell, you decided to save her instead of continuing your battle. That speaks volumes."
Optics added, "Besides that, you've stopped three robberies already. Were those also personal?"
Carl scratched his head, awkwardly smiling. "Yeah, definitely. I didn't have any other way to test my powers, so I just picked the nearest bad guy to pounce on."
Time Walker, leaning with arms crossed, shook his head. "You know… I think we made a mistake with this one."
Carl nodded slightly in agreement. Exactly, he thought. I don't want anything to do with these people. They'll just restrict me even more.
Optics narrowed his eyes, then seemed to come to a conclusion. "Okay, I think I have an idea that might work."
Carl, still internally anxious, thought, What the hell does he want to bring up now?
"What about a temporary partnership?" Optics proposed. "Since you said this case is personal, we work together to solve it. Afterward, you can consider if you want to join us permanently or not."
Carl folded his arms, hesitant. These guys don't know when to give up, do they? "Alright," he said aloud, "I'll work with you to solve this case."
Optics nodded. "Very well. In that case, we should all introduce ourselves. I trust you don't spill secrets to outsiders."
"I would never do such a thing," Carl responded. Of course I won't, he added internally. These guys could reveal my identity and make me a wanted criminal in seconds if they wanted to.
Optics pressed a button on his suit, and the mask retracted smoothly to reveal his face. "My name is Dr. Oliver Perry. Nice to meet you."
Carl's eyes widened slightly. Dr. Oliver Perry? The famous optician? Wow, and here I was thinking I'd seen it all.
Next was Elementrion. The stones that made up his suit disassembled and shrank, forming a bracelet that clicked onto his wrist. "I'm Leo Tyler, archaeologist and geographical explorer."
Mist stepped forward. A sudden gust of wind formed a swirling, opaque tornado around her. As the wind died down, her suit dissolved with it. "Cecelia Westley, athlete and skydiver."
Magnificent smiled as magical, colorful strands unraveled his suit, dispersing into the air like glitter. "Mike Trevor. Owner of Magic and Mystery."
Carl absorbed it all, mildly surprised. An archaeologist, a skydiver, a magic shop owner… They seem like a pretty normal bunch with normal jobs. But they also lead lives filled with danger and missions. It's a weird kind of balance—peace and chaos in one life. He turned to look at the last member.
Time Walker's suit lit up with a glowing blue clock, the second hand ticking backward once before the suit faded away. "I'm—"
"Brody Jones, right?!" Carl blurted. "We've met before."
Brody smiled. "Yeah, that's right."
Carl looked around, feeling the spotlight again. Guess it's my turn now. He tapped his wrist, and his suit flowed back into his watch. "I'm Carl Vincent. Third-year student at Nordric High School. Nice to meet you all."
"That's all for that," Oliver said, wrapping up introductions.
Link jumped in. "Next on the agenda is the issue concerning the news of Magnograv's and Sia's disappearances."
As the group began to discuss, the focus shifted elsewhere…
At the headquarters of a private intelligence agency, Katy sat behind her desk, typing rapidly.
"Beatrix," she asked, "where were Carl's last coordinates?"
A calm, digital voice responded. "I believe these coordinates are that of his home. However, his trace disappears after eleven-thirty a.m. this morning."
Katy nodded. "Then he must be with them. Enough of that. We need to do a full scan of Silver's residence. Look for anything out of place, strange, or unidentifiable."
"Using the Microbot to scan," Beatrix replied.
Back in Silver's apartment, a small microbot stirred to life and began a silent, methodical search.
Katy squinted at her screen. "Maybe this guy's smarter than we thought."
"I've detected something unidentifiable," Beatrix reported.
"Give me a visual," Katy demanded, eyes widening.
A screen lit up, revealing an orb-like object.
"That's definitely unidentifiable," Katy muttered. "Use the Microbot to warp it here."
"Will do."
Back at I.P.F. HQ, the meeting had ended. Carl now walked side by side with Mike down a long hallway.
"So, I've been wondering this for a while," Carl said, curiosity piqued. "Is your magic like what we see in movies or anime?"
Mike laughed. "Something like that. But unlike the movies, I don't need anything to make it happen. In my family, every three generations, two people are born with dominant magic. Others get it weak or not at all. Even I don't fully understand my own magic."
He turned and looked directly at Carl. "But one thing's for sure—"
Carl stared at him, listening, his brain struggling to process it all. He looked thoughtful, maybe even a little lost in it all, as he tried to grasp the reality of the new world he'd just stepped into.