The 24-hour coffee shop was a small establishment wedged between a pawn shop and a closed laundromat. Its neon sign flickered erratically, casting inconsistent light across the empty street. At 3 AM, the only other customers were a homeless man nursing a cup in the corner and a trucker eating pie at the counter.
Marcus arrived first, ordering black coffee and claiming a booth by the window. He watched the street through glass covered in rain that had started falling minutes ago, his mind still processing the Archive situation while preparing for this social performance.
Sarah arrived ten minutes later, soaked despite her jacket. Her short black hair was plastered to her face, and she looked exhausted.
"You actually came," she said, sliding into the booth opposite him. "I half expected you to ghost me."
"I said I would be here."
"Yeah, but people say a lot of things." Sarah ordered hot chocolate from the tired-looking waitress, then turned her attention back to Marcus. "So. Three in the morning. Coffee shop. This is either the start of a beautiful friendship or a terrible decision."
"Possibly both."
She laughed, though it sounded hollow. "You're weird, you know that? Most people try to make small talk, be friendly. You just say exactly what you're thinking."
"Would you prefer I lie?"
"No. It's actually refreshing." Sarah wrapped her hands around her hot chocolate when it arrived, seeking warmth. "Everyone at school pretends. Pretends they're okay with being Nulls, pretends it doesn't destroy them inside, pretends the system is fair. But you don't pretend anything."
Marcus sipped his coffee. "The system isn't fair. Pretending otherwise is pointless."
"See? Exactly. Most people would give me some bullshit about how everyone has value or how powers aren't everything. But you just acknowledge reality." Sarah stared into her cup. "My parents want me to apply to community college. Get a business degree. Work a normal job. Marry someone nice. Have kids who hopefully awaken better abilities than I did."
"Sounds like they've planned your entire life."
"They have. And the worst part? They think they're being supportive. They think accepting my weakness and planning around it is kindness." Her voice cracked slightly. "I wanted to be a hero, Marcus. Since I was six years old. I trained, studied, did everything right. And then I awakened thermal resistance. F-rank. Completely useless for hero work."
Marcus watched her carefully. This was genuine distress, not manipulation. Sarah was having an existential crisis about her powerlessness, seeking validation or comfort or understanding from someone who she thought shared her situation.
*She has no idea who she's talking to,* Marcus thought. *No idea that the person sitting across from her has killed over twenty people and commands an army of monsters.*
"What would you do if you could change it?" Marcus asked. "If you could have any power, what would you choose?"
Sarah considered this. "Something useful. Telekinesis like the heroes on TV. Or super strength. Something that would let me protect people, make a difference." She laughed bitterly. "Stupid, right? Even fantasizing about it is pathetic."
"It's not stupid. Ambition is natural."
"But pointless when it's impossible." Sarah met his eyes. "What about you? You seem so calm about being powerless. Like it doesn't bother you at all. How?"
Marcus chose his words carefully. "I don't measure my worth by what I was given. I measure it by what I accomplish. Powers are just tools. Useful, but not the only path to significance."
"That sounds like something a motivational poster would say."
"Maybe. But it's true." Marcus leaned forward slightly. "Look at history. How many powerless people changed the world through intelligence, innovation, determination? The first person to create the Essence detector was a Null. The scientist who developed the Awakening Pillar technology was powerless. They couldn't manipulate reality with their minds, but they built the tools that everyone else uses."
Sarah blinked. "I never thought about it that way."
"Most people don't. They're too busy worshipping the powered to notice what the powerless accomplish." Marcus took another sip of coffee. "You want to make a difference? Then make one. Powers or no powers. The world doesn't care about your limitations unless you do."
It was manipulative, feeding her exactly what she needed to hear. But it was also functional—keeping Sarah engaged, invested in their friendship, ensured his cover remained solid. And if her self-esteem improved, she'd be less likely to notice inconsistencies in his behavior.
Sarah smiled for the first time that night. "You're kind of inspiring when you're not being creepy and mysterious."
"I'm always creepy and mysterious."
"True. But at least you're honest about it." She finished her hot chocolate. "Thanks for coming out, Marcus. I know it's late and you probably have better things to do—"
"I don't."
"Liar. You're always doing something. Your mysterious science project, remember?" Sarah's eyes narrowed playfully. "Speaking of which, how's that going? Any breakthroughs in artificial awakening?"
Marcus paused. This was dangerous territory. Sarah was perceptive, and her questions were getting closer to areas he needed to keep hidden.
"Slow progress," he said. "The theoretical framework is sound, but practical application is more complex than I anticipated."
"Can I see your work sometime? I mean, I won't understand most of it, but it sounds fascinating."
"It's not ready for review. Too many incomplete hypotheses."
"You're very protective of your research."
"Would you want someone seeing your work before it's finished?"
Sarah conceded the point with a shrug. "Fair enough. But when you crack the code and figure out how to give Nulls powers, I better be your first test subject."
*You already are,* Marcus thought. *Just not in the way you imagine.*
He was about to respond when his phone buzzed with an encrypted message from Whisper:
*Oracle wants to meet you. Tomorrow, 8 PM, neutral location. She says she has information about Black Talon you'll want to hear. Confirm?*
Marcus typed back quickly: *Confirmed. Send location.*
Sarah noticed his distraction. "Everything okay?"
"Just a message about a study group." Marcus pocketed his phone. "Nothing important."
"Study group at 3 AM?"
"Some people keep unusual hours."
"Like you, apparently." Sarah checked her own phone, grimacing at the time. "I should probably head home. My parents think I'm asleep. If they find my bed empty, they'll panic."
They paid—Marcus insisted on covering both bills—and stepped out into the rain. The street was empty, silent except for water hitting pavement.
"Which way are you walking?" Sarah asked.
"North. You?"
"Same direction. We can walk together." She fell into step beside him. "You know, this is the first time since the awakening ceremony that I've felt remotely okay. Everyone else treats me like I'm broken. But you treat me like I'm just... normal."
"You are normal. Everyone else is the problem."
Sarah laughed. "See, there you go being inspiring again." She paused at an intersection. "This is where I turn off. Thanks again, Marcus. For listening. For not being weird about the whole depression thing."
"Anytime."
She started to leave, then turned back. "Hey, Marcus? Whatever you're doing with your science project, whatever you're trying to prove... I hope it works out. You deserve success more than most people I know."
Marcus watched her walk away into the rain, her figure gradually disappearing into the darkness. When she was gone, he allowed himself a cold smile.
*Success,* he thought. *I'm already succeeding beyond anything you can imagine.*
He pulled out his phone and checked the location Whisper had sent. The meeting with Oracle was set for an abandoned parking garage in the industrial district. Neutral territory, public enough to discourage violence but isolated enough for private conversation.
Oracle wanted to meet him face-to-face. That was either desperation or strategy. A precognitive who couldn't see his future would be terrified of him, but also desperately curious. She needed to understand what he was, needed to restore her ability to predict and control.
Marcus would give her exactly enough information to keep her compliant while hiding his true scope.
He walked home through empty streets, his micro-monsters spread throughout the city on various tasks: some tracking Archive members, others scouting Black Talon's known locations, a few monitoring his parents' patrol routes to ensure his absence wouldn't be noticed.
By the time he reached his house, dawn was approaching. He climbed through his window, changed clothes, and lay in bed for the three hours of sleep he'd allow himself.
Tomorrow would be busy. School during the day, meeting with Oracle in the evening, and then final preparations for the Black Talon heist.
Marcus closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
---
The next day passed in careful routine. Marcus attended classes, took notes, participated in discussions. During lunch, Sarah was noticeably more energetic, smiling and joking in a way she hadn't since the awakening ceremony.
"You're in a good mood," Marcus observed.
"I am. Last night helped. Sometimes you just need someone to remind you that life isn't completely terrible." She bit into her sandwich. "Also, I aced my chemistry quiz. Turns out studying actually works. Who knew?"
Marcus's phone vibrated with a message from Whisper: *Oracle is nervous about tonight. She's bringing guards—Beta squad, four C-ranks. Just FYI.*
He typed back: *Understood.*
Sarah noticed his attention drift. "More mysterious study group stuff?"
"Something like that."
"You're allowed to have secrets, Marcus. I won't pry." She paused. "But if you ever need help with anything, you can ask. I mean it."
Marcus looked at her—genuinely well-meaning, completely ignorant of the monster sitting across from her. In another life, he might have valued that offer. In this life, it was just another tool.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said.
The rest of the school day was uneventful. Marcus returned home, confirmed his parents would be working late again, and descended to his laboratory.
His monster population had grown to two hundred and sixty-three through continued conversion of the city's rat population and other vermin. He'd created twelve more awakened-tier monsters using the remaining BW-ALPHA mutagen, expanding his forces with various abilities.
But tonight wasn't about raw numbers. Tonight was about information and positioning.
Marcus selected his escort for the Oracle meeting: Beta-One through Beta-Three, plus Alpha-One through Alpha-Ten. Enough force to defend himself if necessary, but not so much that Oracle would feel he was trying to intimidate her.
*Actually,* Marcus reconsidered, *intimidation is exactly what I want. She needs to understand the power disparity.*
He adjusted his selection. Beta-One through Beta-Seven. Fourteen elite-tier monsters. That would make the point clear.
At 7:30 PM, Marcus left for the meeting location.
---
The abandoned parking garage was a five-story structure that had been condemned after structural damage made it unsafe. Its entrance was chained off, but the chains had been cut recently—probably by Oracle's people preparing for tonight.
Marcus entered the ground floor, his monsters in compressed form distributed across his clothing. The space was dark, lit only by sparse moonlight filtering through cracks in the concrete. His thermal-vision equipped micro-monsters detected multiple heat signatures on the third floor.
Oracle had brought more than four guards. Marcus counted eleven distinct signatures, plus one significantly cooler than human baseline—Oracle herself, whose precognitive abilities apparently affected her body temperature.
*She's more afraid than Whisper implied,* Marcus assessed. *Good.*
He took the stairs to the third floor, his footsteps echoing in the empty structure. When he emerged, he found Oracle waiting in the center of the floor, surrounded by her guards.
Oracle was younger than he'd expected—mid-twenties, with pale skin and silver hair that seemed to move independently of wind. Her eyes were completely white, no visible pupils, and they seemed to stare through Marcus rather than at him.
She wore simple dark clothing, but the ten guards surrounding her were clearly professional. Each one radiated the controlled violence of experienced combatants. C-rank minimum, possibly higher.
"Marcus Vail," Oracle said. Her voice was melodic but cold. "The boy I cannot see."
"Oracle. Thank you for agreeing to meet."
"I didn't have much choice. You terrified three of my best agents and turned them into your puppets." She gestured to the guards. "Forgive the security. But when facing someone whose future I cannot predict, precautions are necessary."
"Understandable. Though you should know that your precautions are inadequate."
Marcus released his monsters.
Beta-One through Beta-Seven expanded from compressed form, growing from pocket-sized to their full massive forms in seconds. Seven commander-tier monsters, each one a nightmare of biology and power, surrounded Marcus like an honor guard.
Oracle's guards immediately took defensive positions, powers activating. But they were clearly shaken by the sudden appearance of seven creatures that radiated power comparable to B-rank threats.
"Jesus Christ," one guard muttered.
Oracle herself remained calm, though her white eyes widened slightly. "So the rumors are true. You're a monster creator. I've never seen abilities like this classified in any database."
"Because there aren't any like it. I'm unique."
"Unique and terrifying." Oracle took a step closer, seemingly unafraid despite the monsters. "When I try to see your future, Marcus, I see nothing. Not death, not victory, not failure. Just... emptiness. As if you don't exist in any timeline I can perceive. Do you know how disturbing that is for someone like me?"
"I can imagine."
"Can you?" Oracle's voice sharpened. "My entire life is seeing possibilities, probabilities, futures branching and converging. I've seen my own death a thousand times, seen the city burn, seen heroes fall and villains rise. But you? You're a void. A blank space where reality should be."
Marcus smiled. "And that terrifies you."
"It does. Because I don't know if you're going to kill me right now, or spare me, or do something I can't even imagine." Oracle's white eyes somehow managed to convey intensity despite their lack of pupils. "So I'll be direct: what do you want from the Archive?"
"Information. Resources. Loyalty."
"We can provide the first two. The third is more complicated."
"Then I'll make it simple." Marcus gestured to his monsters. "I could kill everyone here right now and take what I want from your corpses. Or you can work with me voluntarily and maintain your organization's autonomy. Your choice."
One of the guards—a man with electrical powers crackling around his fists—stepped forward. "You arrogant little—"
Beta-Three moved faster than the human eye could follow, its massive clawed hand stopping inches from the guard's throat. The man froze, electricity dying as fear overrode anger.
"Your guard is brave but stupid," Marcus said calmly. "I'd prefer not to kill him. But I will if necessary."
"Stand down," Oracle commanded. The guard retreated, shaken. She turned back to Marcus. "You've made your point. You have power. But power isn't the same as control. The Archive exists because we provide value—information, intelligence, predictions. Kill us, and that value disappears."
"True. Which is why I'm offering partnership instead of extermination."
"Partnership implies equality. What you're describing is servitude."
"Call it whatever makes you comfortable. The result is the same: the Archive works for me now."
Oracle was silent for a long moment, her white eyes seeming to look through Marcus into possibilities only she could see. Finally, she spoke: "I cannot see your future, Marcus Vail. But I can see the futures of those around you. And in every timeline where the Archive refuses you, we cease to exist within three months. In every timeline where we agree to your terms, we survive for at least a year."
"So you choose survival."
"I choose to delay inevitable destruction while searching for a way to stop you." Oracle smiled coldly. "Don't mistake pragmatism for surrender. I will find a way to see your future. And when I do, I will act on that knowledge."
"I look forward to it." Marcus gestured to his monsters, and they returned to compressed form. "Now. You mentioned information about Black Talon."
Oracle pulled out a tablet, tapping the screen. "Black Talon will hit the Essence shipment tomorrow night at 11 PM. The shipment arrives at Pier 23, guarded by private security—fifteen armed humans, no awakened abilities. Black Talon will deploy seventeen members for the heist, led by Void Raven and Crimson Chain."
She turned the tablet toward Marcus, showing detailed schematics of the pier, security positions, and predicted attack vectors.
"They plan to strike during the transfer from ship to truck. Quick hit, overwhelming force, minimal casualties. They'll use Void Raven's shadow manipulation to disable lights and security, while Crimson Chain's weapons handle physical resistance. Estimated duration: twelve minutes from first strike to full retreat."
Marcus studied the information. It was detailed, professional, exactly what he'd hoped for. "How did you acquire this?"
"We have an informant inside Black Talon. Low-level member who wants out but fears retaliation. We've been feeding him money for information for six months."
"Name?"
"Marcus, I—"
Beta-One materialized again, this time directly beside Oracle. The monster's crystalline claws rested gently on her shoulder.
"Name," Marcus repeated.
Oracle swallowed. "Jason Drake. Goes by 'Shade.' D-rank shadow manipulation, similar to Void Raven but weaker. He works communications during heists."
"Good. I want direct contact with him."
"I'll arrange it." Oracle's voice remained steady despite the monster looming over her. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes. I want complete intelligence on Black Talon's operations. Hideouts, member profiles, power ratings, weaknesses. Everything you have."
"That will take time to compile—"
"You have twenty-four hours." Marcus stepped back, and Beta-One released Oracle. "Send it to the encrypted channel Whisper provided. And Oracle? This is your opportunity to prove the Archive's value to me. Disappoint me, and your one-year survival timeline becomes much shorter."
He turned and walked toward the stairs, his monsters remaining in their compressed forms.
"Marcus," Oracle called after him. "I need to know: what are you planning? What's your endgame?"
Marcus paused at the stairwell. "Evolution. Transformation. The end of humanity as you know it."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only answer you need." Marcus descended the stairs, leaving Oracle and her guards in shocked silence.
As he exited the parking garage, he felt the weight of what he'd just accomplished. The Archive was now fully under his control, whether they admitted it or not. Oracle's precognition was useless against him, and her survival instinct would keep her compliant.
Tomorrow night, he would strike Black Talon and seize the Essence shipment. Twelve million dollars worth of crystallized power that would accelerate his monster creation exponentially.
Everything was falling into place.
Marcus walked through Neo-Seattle's nighttime streets, his phone buzzing with incoming data from the Archive. Member profiles, security protocols, internal communications—everything Oracle had promised and more.
*Three weeks since my awakening, Marcus reflected. Twenty-three confirmed kills. Two hundred and sixty-three monsters. One intelligence organization under my control. And tomorrow, I'll eliminate a B-rank villain and her entire organization.
His previous life had taken decades to achieve a fraction of this. His current trajectory was exceeding even his most optimistic projections.
The city glittered around him, millions of lights representing millions of people who had no idea what was growing in their midst. Heroes patrolled the streets, confident in their power. Villains schemed in the shadows, believing they understood the rules.
None of them saw the real threat.
None of them could.
Marcus smiled as rain began to fall again, washing the city clean while darkness gathered beneath.
Tomorrow night, Black Talon would fall.
And Marcus's monster army would grow stronger.