“You requested this meeting. A lot of very concerned people, myself included, have questions that need answering, but since you clearly have access to means not available to the common man, I’ll let you state your case and ask my questions later.”

  “Thank you, Admiral. I’ll do my best to assuage your concerns, after—I’m done explaining my side of things of course.”

  I gestured to the seat in front of me, and he nodded.

  “Thank you,” I sat down and thought up the speech and approach I’d prepared beforehand. Let’s hope this works…

  Grabbing the tablet from the suitcase that had been thoroughly searched and scanned, I powered it up and projected a holo screen above it.

  “The things I’m about to say will go down better with visuals,” I said while repositioning the screen so the admiral and I would have a good view of things.

  He said nothing and I proceeded with the presentation. The SHIELD logo appeared and I started to explain. After having told many about my plan to make this organisation, I had gotten its description down to a science at this point.

  Olsen was lucky in that regard. He received the version of details that had been refined. There was no more what if the Justice League members all suddenly disappeared or they all fell under the sway of a powerful mind controller.

  There were just a few direct sentences that summed the whole thing up.

  “Shield is a subsidiary of my company, Rath International. I created it with the sole purpose to include humanity as a whole in the matter of its safety. I know that sounds vague and ambiguous, so think about it like this. SHIELD is like the Justice League. The organisation’s purpose is the same as that of the superhero team; tackle, contain, or in the rare extreme cases, destroy any and all meta threats.

  One of the differences between the League and SHIELD stems from how things are run. SHIELD is a corporate entity. The League—and this is not a dig at them—the League is a group of friends and likeminded people who have come together to form something strong and near unbreakable.

  SHIELD is the opposite in this regard. The group of friends part, not the solidarity one. The operatives that make it work are primarily ex-military and ex-intelligence. Of course we have other essential staff like doctors and engineers, but you get my point.”

  “If the Justice League is a non-profit, your… SHIELD is the opposite.”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “Hmm. Continue Mr. Rath. I’m listening.”

  “Unlike the Justice League whose unique status and the trust they’ve garnered allows them to go wherever they’re needed, SHIELD cannot render services where we’ve not been called. Don’t get me wrong, I have contacts in the League. If there’s something that needs more hands than they have, my people can respond to their requests for aid. This relationship goes both ways.”

  “That explains Pakistan, partially.”

  “Pakistan…” I said, flashes of rows upon rows of bodies, both big and small covered in cloth speeding through my already occupied mind.

  “Preventing disasters like that… or at least, saving as many people as possible is one of the reasons Shield exists. It’s a big reason actually. The Justice League is already an immense help when it comes to these things. They are instrumental in preventing a lot of deaths and property damage. But I felt we could do more. No, I knew we could.”

  “And you did. Based on numerous reports, the death toll would've been significantly higher if your people hadn’t intervened.”

  “It was still too high,” I shook my head. “The image I had in mind for Shield was getting to crisis locations before people died. Not after.”

  “You were there, Mr. Rath. You made a difference. That’s what matters.” the admiral said.

  “Yes,” I huffed. “So many people we could’ve saved. Just… dead.”

  “Hmm… I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but take it from someone who’s experienced it multiple times; you can’t save everyone. It’s an awful truth we all learn early on.”

  I kept silent, letting myself calm down before responding. “I’m sorry admiral, but I don’t believe that.”

  “We have people that can fly and lift buildings and mountains, people that can run fast enough to break the sound barrier many times over, and people so smart they invent things that break the very laws of physics. If such things are possible, then there is no way in hell saving everyone isn’t. I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe that.”

  “You make a strong argument. While I’d normally dismiss most people with views like yours as ignorant of the facts and the situation on the ground, I cannot do that. Not with you. When we factor in your early, swift and unique response to the disaster, I’d say you have a better chance of proving me and every other person like me wrong.”

  “That is high praise. Thank you.”

  “It is well deserved. Even though sometimes it is all we can do, your people prevented a tragedy from becoming more tragic. No one can deny that fact.”

  “Thank you again,” I nodded with a chuckle, feeling the need to loosen my non-existent tie. “So, where was I? I’m sorry this little tangent threw me off a little bit.”

  “You were talking about the prevention of disasters and something about how the Justice League can go wherever they like without repercussions.”

  “Right. Saving everyone. Pooling every available resource together to ensure no one dies. To do this, we’ll need better prediction and forecasting systems. For this, I’ve envisioned passing on the technology that allowed my people to detect and monitor this disaster to the relevant observatory bodies and authorities.”

  The admiral sat straighter, his interest piqued, no doubt about the talk of sharing technology.

  “As much as I’d like to create a separate body of Shield just for this, numerous organisations already exist for the purpose of disaster watches and relief. Propping them up and giving them the means to do their job efficiently is the right way to go.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Shield will of course intervene where it's needed, but as I said earlier, its main focus will be on meta related issues. This encompasses anything extranormal the Justice League deals with, like powered criminals, aliens, and the like. This is where the purpose of this meeting comes in…”

  I paused here and changed the scene on the holo screen. The images of the Pakistan disaster were changed to a montage showing some of the surgeries the recruited agents underwent, their training, and then demonstrations of the improved abilities offered by their various implants.

  “Unlike the Justice League, Shield does not have the trust in the people and the legitimacy to go wherever it pleases. And rightly so. That is why I want to earn that trust—”

  The admiral tore his gaze away from the inhuman displays of strength and speed.

  “By offering your services to the U.S. government.”

  “An astute deduction.”

  “You want me to pitch your organisation to the DOD. A Justice League that’s not a Justice League.”

  “I prefer to think of it as a Justice League with larger numbers and uniforms, not costumes.”

  “And your operatives,” he glanced at the screen, watching one male operative practice his shooting with his Sandevistan. “They’re all ex-military and can all do this?”

  “Yes on the first one and no on the second one.”

  “We primarily scouted those who had been honorably discharged due to injuries modern medicine couldn’t fix and offered them the chance to do what they love again. As for the second one, what you saw is the effect of a particular implant. Not everyone opts for it, but most do.”

  “Hm…” The admiral watched the compilation to the end and sat there quietly.

  “There’s one thing I can tell you about this,” he looked at me. “The guys at the DOD are gonna love this. That much I can assure you.”

  “But…” I said it before he could.

  “There were a few of those, however you’ve given satisfactory answers to all of them. The only hiccup left are the promises you sent along with your message. Are you going to keep your word now you’ve gotten what you wanted, or are you going to reveal that you simply used me?”

  “Please admiral, you and I know very well I could have gone straight to the DOD. This little meeting wasn’t necessary. There is no reason for me to lie about the promises.”

  “Then why go through me?”

  “Shield is a corporate entity that offers its services, yes, but since this is more about saving lives than business, I wanted the chance to form, at the very least a loose connection with one the agencies already working to preserve things… your organisation.

  As for why I chose you… you’re one of the few people in the right position of power who sees the heroes for what they are—heroes.”

  “I see you’ve had the displeasure of meeting Amanda Waller.”

  “That woman—you know what, forget it. This isn’t about her. This is about keeping promises.”

  “Right. I read through the nationwide proposal. You want to provide aid to every veteran across the states, and you want me to be involved.”

  “Not just you sir. Every higher up responsible for veteran welfare. I want them involved.”

  “Why? You’re paying for it out of your own pocket? Why muddy things up?”

  “Because, I am just a single person, and I want to stay anonymous. Also, I don’t have much time on my hands. Moreover, there are many people already in the system who do, people who genuinely want to help but do not have the means. My money and oversight is going to give these people what they need.”

  “This will be a huge undertaking.”

  I chuckled. “That sir, is a massive understatement.”

  “There will be a lot of pushback.”

  I was too elated by the progress of this meeting to let the anger take hold. “Don’t worry. I'll deal with that on my end.”

  “You seem confident… so I’ll trust that, for now. Now onto the next topic, the technology you’re willing to share. Why don’t we discuss that over a meal?”

  I looked around at the empty restaurant. “There are cooks here, and they’re working?”

  “Of course, I was gonna have a meal regardless of the outcome of this meeting.”

  “Right. I’ll eat then.”

  “Hm…” Admiral Olsen hummed non-commitally and raised a hand, signaling one of his armed guards. “While we wait, why don’t you give me a brief summary of what you’re offering.”

  Without a word, I changed the display on the holoscreen. The image changed from the end scene of the montage to a device similar to the comms used by the Justice League.

  Unlike that one, this was a simple psi blocker, the function piquing the admiral’s interest greatly. I knew starting with that one was the right decision.

  To keep up the momentum, I followed through with detectors that could sense power use in areas they were deployed in, how the psi device could improve security systems, the healing stims, the improved body armor, and a whole lotta stuff that made the admiral visibility excited.

  When the food arrived, we ate in silence while I cheered inwardly at achieving my goal.

  .

  .

  .

  .

  Providence

  July 31, 10:04

  “Nice shirt.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled and looked away from Superman, glancing down at my chest. A replica of the giant “S” he wore proudly sat on the blue form fitting t-shirt I wore.

  “Welcome,” I shook his hand and greeted the others with various different handshakes. “Ron,” I said and fist bumped the young Kryptonian, noting how much he also liked my shirt.

  Not everyone shared his and his genetic donor’s sentiment though.

  “Dude, what are you wearing? Isn’t that like… biased or something?”

  “Forget that,” Grace brushed Wally’s question away and the boy himself, stepping forward and leaving behind a speedster fighting desperately to keep from losing his bag of jerky.

  “You have a whole ass island! What the hell man!”

  I chuckled at her reaction and Superman’s discomfort at her cursing.

  Even though it hadn’t been long since I left the team, hearing her talk without a care in the world, watching Wally and Rob stand behind Kaldur while the Atlantean crouched and felt the grass, Superboy talking to Dubbilex, and M’gann flying higher with her eyes closed suddenly made me feel a sense of longing.

  I missed being part of the team, as weird as that sounded. Damn. I needed friends my age. Enough of that though. Time to focus on why the gang’s all here.

  “Guys,” I said with an amplified voice. “This way please… the test shouldn’t take long. We can do everything else right after.”

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me and the flat purple circle at the end of my gesture.

  “~Woohoooo, it's the scary magic again,” Wally mocked.

  Kaldur’s expression didn’t change, but he gave Wally a look and started walking. Rob elbowed the speedster in the ribs and followed. In a single file, everyone walked through the portal, Wally being the last.

  Rubbing his side, Wally was the last in the line. I could tell he had something to say but I cut him off with a smile and a little application of telekinetic magic.

  “Wha—”

  Seizing him by his whole body, I drew him forward with a beckoning gesture. “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” I said before waving to the left. He flew into the portal and I jumped in after him.

  The scenery shifted from serene outdoors to sterilized white, glass panes, lab equipment, and of course the guests and a stumbling Wally.

  A gathering of this scale wouldn’t have been possible in my old lab.

  We’d have had to do it in the mission room, like the one where I presented the new comms, Zeta-Platforms, and the psi blocker helmet. Funnily enough, the test we were about to do today involved a similar helmet.

  “Alright,” I said and walked past the group waiting on me, ignoring Wally’s glower. “Everyone follow me. I don’t know about you but I’m eager to see the results. Don’t touch anything,” I said upon seeing Grace play with one of the machines.

  Instead of looking sheepish like social conventions dictated, she grinned and crossed her arms. Fine. That was enough for me.

  From there, it didn’t take long to set things up. The rest of us stood behind Superman proof observation glass and peered into the room with the three occupants pertinent to what we were about to do here.

  Superboy’s role in this was obvious. His job was to use the helmet that granted a normal human wearer psionic powers while Manhunter observed his mind for any changes, favorable or unfavorable.

  Superman’s role naturally defaulted to solidarity and an extra failsafe in case anything went wrong.

  Not that his intervention would even be needed. Not only did the helmet show me realtime scans of Ron’s brain and physiology, I could deactivate it and render him unconscious with it from my perch.

  Cradling the tablet in my grasp like a newborn, I stared at the thumbs up from the expectant young Kryptonian and nodded. “Starting now…” I said and tapped a button that activated the helmet’s main function.

  I frankly didn’t know what to expect, but M’gann inhaling sharply definitely caught me off guard. I gave her a glance and then looked at Manhunter. His expression hadn’t changed a bit.

  The tablet pinged me and I looked down, noting the rising levels of activity in certain portions of Ron’s brain, the levels of sudden psionic activity rising steadily as well.

  “Woah…”