She stood there, stunned. Armin didn’t look much better, staring at her with wide eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me you had superpowers?” The boy asked.


    “You didn’t ask?” She shrugged. “Why didn’t you tell me you had them? And don’t pull what I did. I want an actual answer!”


    It didn’t make sense. Well, Armin did sometimes have to vanish whenever he got a call from someone and would never say who it was. And the boy had been working out a lot more recently. She couldn’t help but recall how he had flexed his muscles for her mom on the day of the bank incident. Speaking of which, now that she thought about it, Armin didn’t seem scared like she had been when the villains had arrived. The only person that even tried getting out of the chains the men had been wrapped in and attempting to stand up had been him.


    Armin gave her a sheepish grin. “I was going to tell you, I promise. I just wanted to get a really good name for myself as a strong hero. That way, when word got out that I was a hero, all the babes would be all over me.”


    Still the same Armin, hero or not.


    “So, I take it you two know each other.” Lois giggled.


    “We go to the same school.” She explained, already getting a headache and feeling the need to have a serious conversation with her friend later. What were the chances the one team she ended up on had Armin on it? She was used to her hero stories not being so teen drama-fueled...


    “That’s good.” Myth hummed, folding his arms. “If you know Snowdawn personally, then that means the only person you have to get to know is Whisper. This should boost team bonding.”


    Jack snorted but didn’t say anything, too focused on the show on TV. The man looked like he found the entire thing to be an amusing joke. “Can we get back on topic?” She asked. “Mr. Lari- Battery and I said we’d join your team because we want what you want, Myth. We want to help make Oleander better. I assume you have some plans for that.”


    Myth rubbed his chin over his face mask and gave a nod. “I do. As it stands, my main goal is to help out where the Sub Enforcers are thin. Two years ago, when I was a member of the team, I thought I would get a big promotion. Then the Calamities struck, and we lost many good heroes, including Red Iron, the previous leader of the Sub Enforcers. With his death, I was overlooked. I feel like that is a mistake, but I don’t resent them. The heroes of Oleander are outnumbered by the villains by a large margin.”


    “Not counting this little group, there are about nine heroes in Oleander,” Jack said, suddenly causing everyone to jump. “Four of them are kids in the Sub Enforcers. One of them is a young adult still figuring out how to lead his new team, and the other four are part of the Watch Dogs, who are dealing with the loss of their leader. If we’re generous, then Oleander also has a few solo heroes that aren’t dead yet, in which case let''s round up to a total of fifteen." The man clasped his hands together. “Also, there is the factor of the police and the Hero Branch, who are trained to help out superheroes. Bad Timers has about seven Supers, maybe a few more. Zoo has around ten. The Wandering Coin, as far as we know, only has one. That’s about sixteen villains, low-balling it. Not counting the dozens of men and women they’ve got as backup soldiers to counter the cops, with no problem not playing by the rules. Villains just have it easier than heroes.”


    “Exactly.” Myth nodded. “We’re outnumbered. That is why I am forming this team. To better help out the heroes.”


    “So, if we are a team, what are we called anyway? And what will we be doing?” She asked curiously.


    Her words caused Lois to let out a snort. “Wait till you hear the name he came up with. It’s like he’s trying to get a rise out of the villains.”


    Myth gave Whisper a dirty look. “To answer your question, Cinder, we don’t have the funding to go after the big boys like Zoo and Bad Timers, so for the time being, I’d like to focus on the smallest and newest group, which is making headway. The Wandering Coin. As for what our group will be called, I’ve settled on the name Pantheon!”


    The words rang out in the room, and the man even raised a fist to the sky, speaking proudly. Silence followed after that, and she couldn’t help but let out the faint hint of a giggle. “Pantheon? Like the thing you call a group of gods? I think you’re going a little overboard with a name like that for what is basically a bunch of rookies.”


    “I’m trying to make a statement.” Myth defended the choice. “I want them to know that we are here to last. That we are important and that we will win when push comes to shove.”


    “The first step is getting the name out there.” Jack’s way of speaking caused most people to go silent and listen. The man sounded like he knew what he was doing. “It doesn’t matter if you have a goofy name or a serious name. There was a time when everyone called the Victorian a pretentious girl playing God. Now, her name is spoken with either respect or fear. Starting small is important. Doing big things helps, but the words of the people matter most. Getting their respect or fear. Making a statement is good. Following through on a promise is even better. Taking down the smaller gangs like the Wandering Coin will show the people that we care about them and that we’re willing to help. It’ll also weaken the villainous group, and even if we aren’t the ones who beat them, simply being associated with it would put us in the light.”


    Myth stood there for a second, a little stunned, used to dealing with people who were much younger. The dark-skinned man shook his head and nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad you agree with my plan. I want Pantheon to make a real difference.”


    “Where do we start?” She asked.


    Myth gave a shrug. “For now, nowhere. I told you earlier, but I’m getting you two proper costumes. Whisper is still getting a few things set up as well. Just like with Snowdawn, I’d ask you two to not go out in public if you can help it. I’d like the next time we’re all seen together as a full team to show us off. Of course, if there is an emergency, then go ahead; the people’s safety comes first. If it all goes well, though, I’d like to start next week sometime. In the meantime, all of you are welcome to come here and even stay here if you wish.”


    She gave a nod at that and a light smile. Having a base was kind of cool. “That sounds good to me.”


    “Me as well.” Jack hummed.


    “Great.” Armin grinned. “Then I guess we’re officially on the same team, Hope.” The boy held a hand out to her, and she tapped it with a fist bump.


    “To the start of what will hopefully be a long-term team.” She stated.


    Sadly, things didn’t really get interesting after that. They watched a few shows and sometimes spoke. Finally, though, it was time to leave.


    She changed back to her normal clothes and let her hair down, stepping out of the stall and finding Lois waiting for her. The girl was dressed in a simple jacket for the cold and some long pants. Lois was tall, even taller than her, and had more muscle than Armin did, from what she could tell.


    “Heading home?” The girl asked.


    “Yeah.” She nodded. “Mr. Larison said he needed to go pick up his car, so I was about to head out anyway.”


    “Wanna walk with me then?”


    “I don’t mind.”


    Outside of the bathroom, Armin waited, giving a wave when he saw them. The boy was also dressed normally, his costume likely hidden in his backpack. She wondered if Armin carried it to school. The nerdy boy gave them both his trademark goofy grin. “Ladies.”


    “No.” They both said.


    “Aw, come on!”


    She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Only if you behave.”


    “I’ll try.”


    They headed out of the warehouse after that. Jack had left a while ago, and Thaddeus wasn’t far behind, so they were the last to leave. They squeezed through the narrow alleyway, and she was a little glad to have the company as the three of them began to head down the cracked path of Spider Street. She couldn’t help but shiver at all the eyes that followed them. How many were part of the Wandering Coin or one of the other two groups?


    She shook her head and cleared her throat, speaking only when they stepped off of the block. “So, what are you guys’ powers exactly?” She asked quietly.


    Armin gave a shrug and a bit of a grin. “Mine aren’t that hard to guess.” Making sure there weren’t any eyes on them, he held a hand up, and a small ball of snow formed in it. “I can cool the air down, create a little water vapor, and then form it into snow. Pretty cool, right? Get it. Cool. Because of my powers- Anyway, I can compress it into ice if I really focus, though I’m still working on that. And seriously, I swear I was going to tell you; I just didn’t have the time.”


    Lois was next. “Like Myth said earlier, mine aren’t really made for combat. Even Snow- Armin here has some mild strength and speed boosts, but I’m just a normal human in terms of physical prowess. That said, my power.” The woman grinned, and then she was gone. She stared in shock as the girl was simply no longer there. A teleporter or- She felt a light tug on her hair and a finger twirling through it, and a second later, Lois was back, now playing with a strand of her black hair.


    “Invisibility?” She asked, swatting the girl’s hand away and brushing her hair back into place.


    “Yeah.” Lois nodded. “I can turn myself invisible and anything I’m holding, to an extent. I also have something else I can do, but that one''s a secret.”


    “That’s enough about us, though!” Armin declared. “What can you do? And how long have you had your powers?”


    That caused her smile to fade for a second as she thought back to the gang members. Lois elbowed Armin when the girl saw the look on her face. “If you don’t want to say you don’t have to—” The girl began, but she cut her off.


    “No, it’s fine.” She shook her head and sighed. “I’d rather not say how I got them. But I’m fine with telling you what I can do. It isn’t anything crazy like Mr. Larison, though. I just have super strength, other basic things, and enhanced senses. I’m still learning a bit about what I can do.”


    “So, the basic package?” Armin asked.


    Lois seemed to notice her confused look and elaborated. “Most powers typically offer at least some basic form of superhuman stats. In fact, a power that doesn’t make you stronger like mine is pretty rare, so I guess I’m lucky.” The woman said sarcastically. “Of course the rarest power is one of the four Lords.”


    "Four Lords?"


    "Oh, have you not heard of them?” Lois raised an eyebrow at her. “The Lords are considered to be the first ever people to have powers. Of course they''re long since dead nowadays, but every now and then the power of a Lord reappears." The girl explained. "You have the Lord of the Sea and Depths, able to control water and gravity. The Lord of the Land and Life, able to create new organic matter. The Lord of the Sky and Weather, able to glimpse the future, and finally the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Full Monarch, the previous number one hero, was the last holder of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. The people that hold these titles pop up every now and then. Currently, Poseidon holds the title of Lord of the Sea and Depths, and a member of the Enforcers holds the title of Lord of the Sky and Weather. Full Monarch died fifteen years ago, along with the previous Lord of the Land and Life, so the world has been sort of waiting for those last two Lords to appear."


    “Do we know where they are, or could be?” She asked.


    Lois shook her head slowly. “No. For the last fifteen years, no one has seen either of those two Lords. They could be anywhere. The Enforcers and nearly every villain group have been looking for them. You’ve heard the rumors about how strong Poseidon is, right? People like her, the Supers blessed with the title of a Lord, are far above any Super on this planet. Only someone like the Victorian truly stands above them right now.”The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She felt a chill go up her spine. Poseidon was called the next Victorian. Considered to be one of the greatest upcoming heroes of their generation. The girl was seventeen, and next year, when she came of age, she would likely take over Old Dog’s spot. The thought of there being two more people out there that held the title of Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, or Lord of the Land and Life, that could turn out to be evil was nerve-wracking.


    Armin noticed her look and punched her in the shoulder. “Don’t be so tense, Hope. The heroes still have the Lord of the Sea and the Lord of the Sky. Even if those last two Lords are found and turn out to be evil, we got nothing to fear from their power.”


    “Maybe you’re right…” She still couldn’t shake the bad feeling that was in her gut.


    “Speaking of powers,” Armin threw his arms behind his head and decided to change the subject. “What’s up with that Larison guy? How do you know someone like that?”


    She gave a nervous shrug. “Well, it’s a little complicated. I sort of ran into him by chance, and it turns out he’s really strong. Oh, and he’s basically my sidekick now.”


    Armin gave a snort at her words and rubbed his chin. “His name was Jack, right? As in Jack Larison? I think I’ve seen him before. Doesn’t he work for my dad?”


    “Yeah, that’s where I met him.”


    “Cool. He fixed our sink once.”


    “Neat.”


    “So, what’s his power?” Lois asked.


    “He points and goes pew.”


    The two heroes stared at her strangely after that, and the rest of the walk was done mostly in silence. Soon enough, they arrived closer to the better part of Oleander City, and Lois stopped in front of a large hotel. “Well, this is my stop. I already have Snow- Armin’s information, so we should exchange numbers, Hope.” Day one of being on a team, and she was already getting a cute girl''s number. Talk about game. That was when she remembered something.


    “I don’t really have a phone.” She said sheepishly. “I have something Mr. Larison gave me, but he said it’s for work only.”


    “You haven’t gotten a new one yet?” Armin asked with a raised eyebrow.


    “Not since the last one broke.” She shrugged. “Money do be tight like that.”


    Lois gave a small nod and set her bag down, opening and reaching into it to pull part of her costume out, fishing around. “I got plenty of spares set up in my room, so you can have this one.” The woman said, fishing out a sleek black phone.


    “Are you sure?” She couldn’t help the slight shake in her hands or voice as the girl handed it to her. The phone was one of the newer models. Now that she looked at it, all the phones strapped to the girl’s outfit were. And judging by how well off the hotel they stood outside of was, she figured Lois was probably doing pretty well in terms of cash. She might have just fallen in love.


    “You’ll need a phone if you’re going to be part of the group,” Lois explained. “Both in and out of costume. It’s good to stay connected in case something comes up or you can’t make it. You can mess around with that phone and change some of the contacts if you want. All the contacts listed as L1, L2, or others like that are my other phones. The one named Lois is my actual number, and Snow should be Armin’s.”


    “Thank you then.” Already, Lois had become her favorite friend. The girl seemed to always have a light smile on her face and seemed to be the kind to brush most things off.


    “If you need help with anything, give me a call. The same goes for you, Arm.”


    “I can handle myself.” The boy said, trying to flex his arms, which were nowhere near as muscular as Lois’s.


    “Right. Well, I’ll be seeing you both. It was good to meet you.” And with that, the girl waved herself off. They watched Lois enter the hotel, disappearing up a set of stairs, leaving just the two of them.


    A bit of an awkward silence started up as she and Armin began to head towards his house. As she walked, she opened the new phone up and was shocked to see just how full the contacts were. Snow and Bull were listed, and it was easy to guess who they were. Then there was L1, all the way to L100. This phone was listed as L15. It didn’t have any apps but wasn’t restricted. Besides the contact list, it seemed like it was a brand-new phone.


    Whatever plan Lois had for it was different from the one her mom had, as the phone seemingly had unlimited data and calling. She’d have to remember to ask how much Lois paid for the phone and plans. She could eventually pay the girl back as thanks.


    “So, you really have superpowers.” Armin’s voice caused her to almost jump. She put the phone in her bag and turned to the boy. “I’m just trying to picture it.” He shrugged. “I mean, I’ve known you for so long, and you never seemed like the type.”


    “Well, it was a bit of a shock for me, too.” She admitted. “I didn’t get them under the best circumstances. I haven’t even had them for that long.”


    “So why didn’t you tell me?” Armin didn’t sound like he was accusing her of anything. More or less, just curious.


    “Well, I had planned to. I had lost my phone, though, and couldn’t. By the time I did get my phone back, Kyle showed up, and he-”


    “Wait! Did Kyle know before me?”


    “Yeah. He was sort of there. We ended up heading to the junkyard to practice my powers. After that, I don’t know. I just didn’t tell you.” She shrugged. “I guess I had a similar thought to you. I wanted to only show you I was a hero when I was already cool and strong.”


    Armin chuckled at her words, nodding. “Well, don’t worry. I don’t blame you or anything. I mean, I really can''t, since I did the same thing for even longer. So how did Mrs. Lauren take it when she learned her daughter was a superhero?” The boy’s smile faded when he saw the look on her face. “Hope, you did tell your mom and dad that you were dressing up and getting into fights, right?”


    “I mean, I’m going to...”


    “Hope!”


    “I don’t want her to worry. She already worries so much about Dad. If she thinks I’m going to keep getting hurt, then there is no way she would allow me to go out in costume! I’ll tell her when Dad starts getting better, but until then, I don’t want to give her another reason to stress out.”


    Armin sighed at that and folded his arms. “Alright. I don’t think it’s a good idea to not tell them, but that’s your choice. I’ll keep my lips sealed around her. It''s not like it’s the first secret I’ve kept from your mom. My dad already knows I’m a hero and about my powers, so you might want to act normal around him, just so he doesn’t figure it out.”


    She wondered briefly if the man already knew. If he heard that Mr. Larison and she fought that villain, then Mr. Moore was already more than aware.


    “So, do your parents even know you have powers?” Armin asked.


    “No, I kept that secret too.” She winced, feeling more guilt building up.


    “Sorry.” Armin muttered when he saw the look on her face.


    “You didn’t do anything wrong.” She shook the weird feeling that was building up. She didn’t even realize it, but they had arrived at the boy’s house. His home was sort of like Kyle’s had been. Big, not a manor, but larger than a normal house. “Hi, Mr. Moore.” She said as she entered the front door. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, reading the news, nodding when he saw her. She froze for a bit when she saw that the paper was talking about a pair of new heroes that got in over their heads and fought the leader of Zoo.


    The people did not seem to like her very much...


    Armin grabbed her hand and led her upstairs to his room. She had been there several times before. It was large, with a king-size bed, one of the biggest TVs she had ever seen, as well as dozens of new and old game consoles hooked up. On shelves lining the walls were a large collection of books, comics, and even a few action figures of the Enforcers, though not as many as her and Mr. Larison had.


    Armin collapsed into a chair and tossed something at her. She caught it, looking down at it with a raised eyebrow. It was a black device that she could grip down on that had a digital meter on it. “That can determine your grip strength,” Armin explained. “It’s not the best way to tell, but it can be good to tell if you’re getting stronger. Anything above one hundred is pretty good. I can hit just under two hundred if I try, which is how I know I’ve gotten superhuman strength from my power. That one goes to about three hundred. Give it a try.”


    “As hard as I can?”


    “Yeah.”


    She nodded, got her hand around the grip, and began to pull. She watched as the number on it began to go up fast. It hit a hundred, then two hundred, then three- A loud crack seemed to echo in the room as the grip snapped off, and she accidentally crushed it in her hands. The device practically exploded, falling to the floor.


    Armin couldn’t stop laughing as her face turned red in embarrassment. “Yeah, you have super strength, for sure.” The boy giggled.


    “Sorry.”


    “Nah, it’s fine. I got more than one. You warned me you were strong; I just figured it was only slightly stronger than a normal person. Have you tried to reach your limit?”


    “Not really. I haven’t had anything to try it on. I can pick up a car and shake a building with a punch.”


    Armin let out a whistle at that. “Damn.”


    “Mr. Larison is even stronger.” She bragged.


    “Damn.” An awkward silence filled the room for a moment as she gripped and ungripped her hand. “So why did you become a hero?” Armin asked after a few seconds of silence.


    “I already said it, sort of. I wanted to make a difference, though.” She shrugged. “Oleander needs to get better.”


    Armin gave her a nod. “Yeah, I want to do the same. Not just with Oleander, though.”


    “You mean the world?” She’d have loved to claim she wanted to save the planet, but that was some Victorian-level stuff. She was still a long way from that.


    Armin leaned forward on the bed, going quiet as he seemed to debate telling her something or not. Finally, he looked her dead in the eye, joking nature gone, replaced with a serious look. “I haven’t told my dad this. He’d freak. I don’t want to just be a hero for Oleander, though. I want to be a hero that helps out during a Calamity.”


    She felt her blood run cold for a moment at his words. A Calamity-level event was something everyone knew and everyone feared. Even the villains. Something that could bring about the end of all life. There were three potential events that were considered world-destroying disasters.


    The first was Chrysanthemum’s border breaking and the full force of the Dead Virus breaking out into the world. A disease able to slay even the strongest heroes and villains. Her father was barely afflicted with a mild strand, and she saw the state the man was in. The second was the Beast coming down from outer space, declaring war on planet Earth. That happened nearly two years ago. Oleander hadn’t been hit, but several parts of Planet Earth were forever twisted and changed beyond human suitability. Many heroes died then.


    The third and final was the closest mankind ever got to reaching an extinction point. To this day, they were still suffering from the losses. A villain known as the Emperor. The villain had declared war on planet Earth and attacked with an entire army of otherworldly monsters. He hadn’t been seen in over fifteen years. Not since he was defeated by the hands of Full Monarch, the mentor of the Victorian. This event also led to the deaths of the Lord of the Sun and Cosmos, as well as the Lord of the Land and Life, hence the reason everyone was waiting for the two new Lords to appear.


    To go up against even a single Calamity level threat was basically suicide. Even the greatest hero the world had ever seen, Full Monarch, the previous Lord of the Sun, died in his battle with the Emperor.


    She placed a hand on Armin’s shoulder and gave him a slight smile. “Let’s stick with making Oleander a better place for now. We can deal with aliens, monsters, and gods another time.”


    Armin smiled, gripping her hand. “Yeah. So, want to go blow stuff up?”


    “Always.”


    ***


    “You seemed eager about letting us into your little team,” Jack noted. By now, the two of them had gotten dressed back in their civilian clothes, and the red-haired man decided to poke at the librarian.


    “Team?” Thaddeus cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry, but I think you have me mistaken with-”


    “Dude, seriously? Are ya this committed to the bit?”


    The dark-skinned man looked around for a moment, making sure no one was watching them. The man grabbed the front of his shirt, raised it up, and covered his lower mouth. Instantly, his voice changed, going back to the tone he used when he was Myth. “So, what do you think?” Thaddeus, or maybe it was Myth now, asked.


    Jack reversed the car out of the alleyway and finally escaped Spider Street. In the passenger seat, his new boss was seated quietly. “They’re a bunch of kids.”


    “Exactly.” Myth nodded. “When a person awakens their powers, they tend to be young. Normally, they only have a few real options. The first is going solo, where they’ll be taken in by a gang or slaughtered. The second is joining the Sub Enforcers and knowing you will have to go wherever the Hero Branch sends you when you come of age. I made Pantheon with another goal. I want to offer kids a place on this team where they can make their own choices and do what they want.”


    “As long as it follows your rules,” Jack asked dryly, causing the dark-skinned man to frown. “Don’t think you’ve fooled me. In that fight with Red Ape, you were holding back, weren’t you? Let’s be real here; you could have taken Red Ape out whenever you wanted to, couldn’t you?”


    “I could say the same to you.” Myth noted in a cool tone. “I assume we both have our reasons why.”


    “You wanted to see what the kid could do, didn''t you?” Jack’s fingers clenched around the steering wheel. “I already said it. I’ll help you where I can, but don’t expect me to step up as second in command.”


    “Yes, you’ve made that clear. Honestly, if not for that girl, I doubt I’d have let you join. I’ve seen firsthand what she can do. I’d be insane not to recruit her.”


    “Just remember that she isn’t a weapon. She’s a kid first.”


    Myth sighed at the words and turned to stare out the window. “I have to ask. You are strong. Clearly able to fight, showing signs of practice. Ocean Empress, Old Dog, Max Lightning, Lady Time, Mister Man, Beta, Wyvern, Fable, Boy Genius, and the Victorian. Do you know what they all have in common?”


    “All ten of them are Enforcers?”


    “All ten of them are strong.” The librarian explained. “Not all powers are equal. Some are godlike, such as the power of the four Lords, and some are so weak you might as well not even have them, such as Red Ape. That said, I have found four main things that determine how strong you are. Body, Mind, Spirit, and Luck. The more fit you are, the more your head is in the game, the more you put your soul into it, and the luckier you are, the stronger you’ll be. To put it bluntly, I think you cover one point. You’re lucky. You have an extremely powerful ability, but your body is a mess. You don’t seem interested in this job; I am guessing someone crushed your spirit long ago.”


    Jack didn’t respond, keeping his eyes on the road as the car cruised onward.


    The hero seemed to take the silence as interest, so he continued talking. “I have offered this to the others, and I’ll give it to you as well. I trained in several degrees of psychology. This job can be stressful and harmful. If you ever need someone to talk to-”


    “I don’t need a therapist.” The dark-skinned man was silenced by the sharp tone of Jack’s voice. “You can count on me to do what’s best, okay?”


    The man frowned. “Very well, then. Keep your secrets.”


    “Oh. I planned on it.”


    “Just know this.” Myth stared at Battery with an unflinching look. “If for even a second I sense a hint of malice in you...”


    “I got the picture.” Jack nodded. “But you don’t have to worry about anything. I would rather off myself before being evil for even a single second once more.”


    “Once more?” Myth raised an eyebrow.


    “A slip of the tongue.”


    And with that, the two men sat quietly in the car, neither really knowing what else to say to the other. An unlikely team had been born that day. Pantheon had been created.