033 CAMOUFLAGE
The auction hall felt less like a marketplace and more like a grand evening gala. Guests mingled in elegant suits and gowns, glasses of wine or champagne in hand, bid paddles tucked under their arms.
Everyone wore masks—anonymity was part of the game.
Before the auction began, attendees lingered at long tables, sampling fine cuisine and vintage bottles. Damen had never tasted anything so extravagant. To him, it felt like raiding a buffet.
Zairgid had slipped away to meet his father and mingle with wealthy acquaintances, leaving Damen to his own devices.
That's when someone bumped into him, nearly spilling her glass. Damen caught it with one hand and steadied the woman with the other.
"You look familiar," she said, studying him through his mask.
Damen smirked. "Familiar? With a mask on? Try a better pick-up line next time."
Her expression flickered, and without another word she pulled back and left, embarrassed.
Yet Damen felt a strange recognition too about the girl. He couldn't place it at first until instinct kicked in. Slipping out his phone, he discreetly activated his mining app and caught her image.
The name flashed on screen.
"Damn, I was right." He quickly saved her to his Favorite List.
Curiosity sparked within him about the girl.
Carefully, he shadowed her movements from afar as she joined another table, speaking quietly with two men: an older, broad-shouldered figure, and a tall, slim one with sharp posture.
Damen tagged them both, then checked their details.
Name: Dorin West | SIA Codename: Mechanic
Rank: F
Strength: 17 | Charm: 16 | Meta: 32 | Command: 30
Name: Ambrone Melrose | SIA Codename: Director
Rank: C
Strength: 85 | Charm: 8 | Meta: 320 | Command: 309
Name: Lander Strong | SIA Codename: Detective
Rank: F
Strength: 19 | Charm: 31 | Meta: 36 | Command: 33
Damen's eyes widened. "SIA?" Then it clicked in his mind. It was the Superheroes Intelligence Agency.
So Dorin wasn't just a casual trainer at Heroes' Gym. She was an undercover operative for SIA.
"And this Detective…" Damen thought, his gaze flicking to the slim man. If the codename matched his role, he had to be the mind behind their investigations. Dorin wouldn't have the brains to run a case on her own—she was only following orders.
His eyes shifted to the older one. "Director… a Melrose. He must be tied to Hansen Melrose, the city's governor."
Damen leaned back, his lips curling into a thin smile. This wasn't just a night at the auction. He had stumbled onto something far more valuable—information.
And he would save it for later.
-----
"What was that about? Who were you talking to?" Director Ambrone asked Dorin, his tone half-jesting. "Don't jeopardize our mission by flirting with boys."
"That guy's a jerk," Dorin muttered, before quickly adding, "Anyway, I've scouted the hall. Most of the guests are accounted for." She handed him a datapad filled with notes and photographs.
Lander took the pad, swiping through the profiles with practiced precision. His eyes narrowed. "You missed the man you just bumped into."
Dorin crossed her arms. "He's probably just some spoiled heir. He tried a pick-up line on me."
Ambrone chuckled. "He dared to hit on our Dorin? Bold move."
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away.
Dorin was usually a background operative—she rarely worked the field. Tonight was an exception, and the unexpected encounter with a cute stranger had left her a little off-balance.
Still, their focus was clear.
The SIA was here for one reason: this auction.
With so many influential figures gathered under one roof, they were tasked with safeguarding both the guests and the event itself especially protecting the main auction item of the night: The Eye of Ra.
The three operatives resumed their quiet surveillance, their eyes sweeping the masked crowd for threats. Beyond the laughter and clinking glasses, the atmosphere hummed with tension.
Soon, the auction would begin.
----
"I spoke to my father. You can have these," Zairgid said, handing Damen a datapad. A long list of equipment glowed across the screen.
Damen raised a brow. "Are we bidding on these later?"
Zairgid snorted. "Are you kidding? Everything up for auction tonight costs millions of Aurs. These are already paid for and waiting at the stores. We'll pick them up later."
"Then why even drag me here?" Damen asked.
"My father wanted to see you," Zairgid replied.
"Alright, let's go…" Damen started, but Zairgid quickly stopped him.
"Not personally. You just being here is enough. His assistants have already looked you over."
Damen frowned. "Wait. They checked me without me even noticing?"
Zairgid shrugged. "We also pulled your records from the meta training center. Father knows everything about you now."
"Damn you rich people," Damen muttered.
"Relax. We can leave anytime. I booked us a room at Black Owl. This place is just for old men throwing money around."
"Go now? What about the food?" Damen asked, reaching for another plate. "Let me finish eating first. The rich can waste fortunes bidding for treasures, while I'll enjoy my buffet."
Zairgid shook his head. "You're unbelievable. A complete glutton."
-----
The auction rolled on without a hitch while Damen stuffed himself. Few dared compete with him for the lobsters and caviar, and he happily claimed the buffet.
Although he wasn't poor anymore, the food here were luxuries that few could afford and he would rather not waste money on… if he must pay the bill.
But the meal was free tonight so he wouldn't miss it.
Then, to his shock and horror, the ceiling groaned—and collapsed in a rain of steel and plaster.
"Damnit, the ceiling broke", Damen cried.
Figures in sleek black suits dropped through the wreckage, some sliding down with ropes, others descending on their jet packs.
They smashed through the exhibits and started looting.
Panic surged through the hall. Guests bolted for the exits, only to slam against shimmering force fields. The doors were locked from outside.
The guests inside were trapped. Guards outside pounded in vain, unable to break through.
"Dammit," Zairgid hissed at Damen. "If not for your gluttony, we'd be long gone. Now what are we going to do with these bloody robbers?"
"How was I supposed to know anyone would dare rob this place?" Damen shot back.
These weren't ordinary guests in the room—they were meta-humans, some ranked up to C-class.
But the intruders were no pushovers. Every one of them radiated power, ranked D or C. There were no weaklings among them and they were prepared for this, armed to the teeth.
An epic clash between heroes and villains would ensue.
Damen and Zairgid ducked into a corner.
"What do we do now?" Zairgid asked.
"Do what you do best… hide", Damen replied.
With a flicker, Zairgid's body shimmered and vanished. His meta-skill, Camouflage, blended him to the background, rendering him almost invisible.
Damen's eyes widened. He had the same ability, acquired not long ago. But he hadn't trained it yet.
"Dammit—why doesn't Camouflage work for me?" he muttered, fumbling.