"SIR, the team we sent to the training facility in Abuja hasn't been heard from."
"It's safe to assume they were wiped out."
The room fell silent.
From atop a dark throne, a man dressed in black leaned back, grinning like death itself.
"No worries..." he said, voice calm, almost amused.
"They served their purpose."
●●●●●●
GLOBAL ASSEMBLY
A.O.N (ACCORD OF NATIONS) - ATHEL(THE ATHERIUM COUNCIL)
The room was tense as representatives from ATHEL and A.O.N gathered to discuss a matter that had been brewing for days. The fate of Neto and his friends, the genetically altered mutants created by Shawn Williams, had become a controversial topic. It was a delicate issue, and the room was divided.
Jide Okoro, the African representative of ATHEL, was the first to speak, his voice calm but firm. He had brought up the idea of utilizing Neto and his friends, and now the other representatives were starting to weigh in.
Jide Okoro: "We need to consider a different approach here.
I propose we use the mutants—Neto and his friends. They're the only ones who have connections to Shawn.
We don't know where he is, and if we continue to wait, more innocent lives will be lost.
They might be the key we need."
Zara Windwalker, the North American representative of ATHEL, scoffed, her arms crossed and her eyes glowing with a sharp intensity. The idea of relying on children—especially ones who were not even Enerions—did not sit well with her.
Zara Windwalker: "Children? Mutants?" She couldn't hide the condescension in her voice. "You want to send these... kids after Shawn Williams? What if they get killed in the process? We can't be playing with the lives of children, Jide. This is madness."
William Hawke, the North American representative of A.O.N, leaned forward, his military posture evident as he gave his thoughts on the matter. His voice was calm and measured, but there was a clear sense of practicality in his words.
William Hawke: "I understand your concerns, but we're running out of options. They may not be Enerions, but their origins give them an edge.
If there's anyone who might know where Shawn is, it's them. We're not talking about sending them into battle—we're talking about gathering information. And we don't have the luxury of time."
Zanele Mthembu, the African representative of A.O.N, spoke up next, her tone dripping with disdain as she dismissed the idea.
Zanele Mthembu: "Mutants or not, they're still children. And we don't know what their thoughts are.
How can we trust them with something so important? This is reckless, and if you think we should bet our future on them, you're wrong."
Huan Li, the Asian representative of ATHEL, was more measured in his response, his calm demeanour making him the perfect voice of reason in the room.
Huan Li: "I understand the concerns, but the situation is dire. We don't have the luxury of dismissing every potential lead just because it's unconventional. Their origins are unusual, yes, but they might be the only chance we have. We can not afford to ignore this possibility."
Maria Antonia Duarte, the South American representative of ATHEL, spoke next, her voice calm but laced with worry.
Maria Antonia Duarte: "I agree with Huan. We are dealing with something far larger than any one of us. Shawn Williams is a threat to both humans and Enerions, and we need to be pragmatic. These children may be our best shot at finding him before it's too late."
Yuki Tanaka, the Asian representative of A.O.N, frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. He wasn't one to easily bend, and the thought of relying on children—or mutants—was hard for him to accept.
Yuki Tanaka: "This is absurd. We should focus on building stronger defences, not gambling with mutants who may not even be stable. Their abilities might not be under control, and we're just supposed to throw them into this mess?"
Raúl Mendoza, the South American representative of A.O.N, shook his head, his expression softening as he looked around the room.
Raúl Mendoza: "Yuki, I understand your concerns, but this isn't about betting on them—it's about necessity. These children were made for a reason, and we can't ignore that. If they're the only ones who can get close to Shawn Williams, then we have to use them. If we don't, we risk everything."
The discussion was getting heated, and Maximilian O'Neill, the Antarctic representative of A.O.N, took a moment to address the situation with his usual calm but cutting insight.
Maximilian O'Neill: "The reality is, we have little choice. We don't know where Williams is, and without a solid lead, we might be running out of time. Yes, they are mutants, but they might be the only ones who can help us. It's not about trusting them blindly—it's about using the resources at hand."
Aroha Katoa, the Oceania representative of ATHEL, spoke last, his voice grounded in pragmatism but still carrying an undercurrent of empathy for the children.
Aroha Katoa: "The world is changing. We can not keep clinging to the old ways. The mutants may be a risk, yes, but they may also be our only solution. We need to find a way to make this work—not for their sake, but for all of ours."
The chamber fell into a tense silence as Sophia Erikson, the Antarctic representative of ATHEL, delivered her final thoughts with a firm, resolute tone.
Sophia Erikson: "Banning them or ignoring them won't solve anything. We need to focus on the bigger issue here—Shawn Williams. If these children are the only ones who can find him, then we use them. We don't have the luxury of hesitation."
"Let us vote on it,"
A voting process was carried out, the score being 10 - 4
Leaning onto using the mutants.
"If they go nuts and start killing people, this would be on your hands,"
Tanaka said as he stood up ,anger evident.
"Yuki,you know what Shawn wants.
They are only five of them,while he has an army of them,they wouldn't cause as much damage as he would left unchecked."
"It is settled then,jide since this is ur area and is non-human based you would be in charge of them."
To which jude nodded to in agreement.
"Is any of the God tier avaliable?."
Luka said to one of the informants.
"Well, kaien is still off world."
"And Abeni? Where is she currently?"
"We have info of her being in Central africa.
Where exactly, is something we've had no chance of finding out."
"Hm ,we have contacts with S-ranks and pseudo-God tiers across the planet.
But I have a feeling we may need one of them."
●●●●●●●●●
Inside the dormitory, Danso's voice rang out like a fire alarm.
"Yo! You guys won't believe it—they've got a damn football field!"
He rushed to them, eyes lit with excitement.
Aniyah crossed her arms. "Danso, can you not run around shouting like that? "
Zuri chuckled. "Let him have his moment. He acts like he's never seen grass before."
Danso shot her a grin. "Not grass. A pitch. A real one! With goals and everything."
Neo looked up . "Football field?"
"Soccer, football, same thing," Danso waved. "The point is—we're playing."
"None of us actually know the rules," Neo said, unconvinced.
"You don't need rules," Danso declared proudly. "Just run, kick, use your abilities. There's no rules with us enerions"
Neto, standing on the side, glanced.
"That's your rulebook?"
Danso turned, already halfway out the door. "Hey,as long as you dont try to kill anyone .
Well be fine."
Neto's lips twitched. "No promises."
Zuri laughed. "Yeah, let's maybe keep the destroyer off the ball."
Neto stood slowly, cracking his knuckles. "Who said I'd go for the ball?"
Neo raised an eyebrow. "Here we go…"
Aniyah groaned. "This is gonna end in a crater, isn't it?"
●●●●●●●●●
Reaching the field, a few students were already playing against each other.
Danso jogged up to one of them, beaming. "Yo, can we join you guys?"
The student gave him a look of pure disdain. "What's your rank?"
"Rank? Oh, uh..." Danso glanced at his wristband.
Rank: 144
They hadn't been around during the placement tests. Without any accomplishments to show, their ranks were dumped at the bottom.
"144? Lowest of the low, huh? And you think you can play here?" He scoffed. "Get the hell outta here."
Danso scratched his head as he walked back. "Man... I didn't know you needed a high rank to kick a ball."
Neto tilted his head slightly, then stepped forward.
"What's your rank?" he asked calmly.
"Me? Rank 72. Still miles above you bottom-feeders."
"They may be low-ranked,but me..." Neto raised his wristband.
Rank: 5
The number pulsed in the air.
"Rank 5?! What the—"
Other players turned, shocked.
"Why's a top-five guy playing with nobodies?"
"Is he... pitying them?"
Neto smiled. It wasn't warm—it was the kind that made your gut twist.
"We're free to play here, aren't we?"
The guy's face paled. "Y-yeah, yeah. Of course. We'll leave."
Before they could slink off, Neo jumped in, flinging an arm over Neto's shoulder.
"No need for that, man. We could just play against each other." His smile grew sly. "Five of us, five of you. What do you say?"