Sherwood City had become the epicenter of a new kind of war. It wasn't an invasion from the stars anymore; it was an invasion from within. Every day, the news reported a new "Awakening." A baker in France who could turn to stone; a student in Tokyo who could hear thoughts.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZn3cL4yxI
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But with power came chaos.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7rKWSgLtr
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In the heart of the city, a UMA with the ability to generate kinetic shockwaves had leveled a city block while trying to "help" stop a bank robbery. The public’s gratitude for the V-Team was curdling into fear of the unknown.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBQxgx8Np2
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The West Corp Directive29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgFjs2qgr0
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"We aren't just a tech company anymore, Victoria," Garder West said, his silhouette framed by a massive holographic map of "Containment Sites." "We are the global wardens. The government has authorized the UMA Detention Initiative (UDI). Any anomaly that cannot control their output is to be brought here for 'stabilization.'"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYSXjrNFGN
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He pointed to a deep-subterranean level of West Corp—Level 9. It was a high-tech fortress designed to dampen Meta-energies.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0WromGtE7
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"Stabilization?" I asked, my gauntlets humming. "Or imprisonment?"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OQYV5pC6q
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"If a child has a live grenade in their hand, you take the grenade away," West replied coldly. "Elizabeth is already in the field. Avan and Leon are at the harbor. There’s a Class-3 Pyro-UMA at the docks. Go."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqpgdkIfaa
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The Hunt at the Docks29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSqE2cd8Oe
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The "Pyro" was a nineteen-year-old named Marcus. He wasn't a villain; he was terrified. His skin was glowing like a charcoal ember, and every time he breathed, the shipping containers around him melted.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtejyhvmpg
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"Stay back!" Marcus screamed as I landed in my purple-and-green armor. "I don't want to hurt anyone! It just... it won't stop burning!"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiRTRQp9E3
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"Marcus, listen to me," I said, my visor retracting to show him my face. "I'm Victoria. I've been where you are. We can help you."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHMZtUf7tI
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"Help me how? By putting me in a box?"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC17vw1Cg32
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Suddenly, a streak of green light whistled through the air. An arrow made of solid shadow-matter struck the ground at Marcus’s feet, erupting into a localized "Cold-Zone."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzJKLV4DKA
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Elizabeth (Nightshadow) dropped from the crane above. "He’s a Class-3, Vega. Protocol says we contain him immediately. Don't let him talk his way into burning the city down."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO7bDz6N4v
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"He's just a kid, Liz!" I shouted.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPkTbiX4Kt
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"He's a weapon out of control!" she snapped back.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1NJYrq8Ay
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Leon rose from the water, his face grim. He used his powers to create a cooling mist, but his eyes weren't on the boy—they were on the West Corp "Recovery Team" that had just arrived in armored vans. They carried Dampener Collars—heavy metal rings that suppressed the nervous system.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtHnb92e4i
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The Betrayal of Trust29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtryOdEqHx4
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We watched as the Recovery Team forced the collar onto Marcus. The glow in his eyes died instantly, replaced by a look of hollow agony. They loaded him into the back of the van like cargo.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISxa6Bu3Nf
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"Is this what we are now?" Avan asked, his blue sparks dimming. "The Meta-Police? We’re UMAs too, you know. What happens when West decides we are too dangerous to be outside?"29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU2SggVluk
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"We’re different," Elizabeth said, though her voice lacked its usual conviction. "We’re trained. We have a purpose."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkey9hPf46P
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"No," I said, looking at the departing van. "We’re just the ones holding the keys to our own cage."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGefOkbgWky
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The Detention Center: Level 929Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrZQz8xk3R
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Later that night, I used the Watch to bypass the security sensors and snuck into Level 9. The hallway was lined with cells. I saw Marcus sitting on a cot, staring at his hands. He looked small. He looked human.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡES01TInCIF
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I saw others. A girl who could phase through walls, now trapped in a room vibrating at a frequency she couldn't match. A man who could see the future, crying because he knew he would never leave this room.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijupjLWFwx
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"West Corp isn't helping them," I whispered into my comms to the rest of the V-Team. "They’re studying them. They’re trying to find a way to replicate the UMA gene for their own 'Secret Service' soldiers."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj8jG2Lvff
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"I found the files, Victoria," Avan’s voice came through, shaking. "I hacked the main server. West is calling it Project: Chimera. He wants to combine our DNA with the DNA of the captured UMAs to create a 'Perfect Guardian' for Dementra's return."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTNVTSMviv
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The Line in the Sand29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs36k0UOdi
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I stood in the dark corridor of the prison, my armor glowing a soft, rebellious green.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9MEsupU1W
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"V-Team," I said. "We have a choice. We can keep following West's orders and wait until it’s our turn for the collars... or we can turn this 'Detention Center' into a school."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iyiDdJCJb
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"A school?" Leon asked.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRXSE7wp4g
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"If they learn to control their powers, they aren't 'dangerous' anymore. If we teach them to be heroes, West can't justify the cages. We start tonight. We don't break them out—we break the system."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUIRVDKztw
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As I spoke, the shadow of Garder West appeared at the end of the hall. He wasn't alone. He was flanked by a new squad of soldiers wearing Anti-Meta Power Suits based on the technology they had salvaged from the Invasion.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTSFOkzbl9
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"I hoped you wouldn't come down here, Victoria," West said, his voice echoing in the sterile hallway. "You’re a hero. Don't make me treat you like an Anomaly."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql3KtCUMR9
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"Too late, West," I said, the violet thrusters in my boots igniting. "I've always been an Anomaly."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB6jjPhilF
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