Chapter 47
I was tracing the backup power conduits running to the lower sublevels when the workshop door glided open, accompanied by the familiar, high-speed clicking and a bright, energetic voice.
"And we are LIVE once again, internet!" Sienna declared into her camera rig, holding her selfie stick high above her head as she spun in a smooth, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree arc in the center of the workshop. She wore her fitted dark turquoise shorts and tank top, her dark spiky hair twitching with electric static that set the camera’s ambient lighting ring flickering.
"Welcome back to an emergency, unscheduled edition of 'Supers In The Woods'!
Or should I say... 'Supers Preparing To Breach A Federal Fortress'! "
She leaned closer to the camera lens.
"Here is the unfiltered truth, world," Sienna stated, every word echoing clearly across the stream.
"Three hours ago, while buying groceries for our dinner, Evelyn Cross—Vespera—was illegally snatched by a stealth quantum displacement beam.
The Hero Bureau lied to us. Director Henderson signed a truce, and then turned right around and abducted our friend from neutral territory. "
The live chat stream erupted. The text feed blurred into an unreadable waterfall of white and gold light as millions of comments, donations, and reactions flooded the server:
TruthSeeker99 sent $500: 'THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES WERE TRUE! THE BUREAU IS KIDNAPPING RETIRED SUPERS!'
Sector4Citizen: 'I KNEW HENDERSON WAS LYING ON YESTERDAY'S STREAM!'
HeroLeaks_Official sent $1000: 'THEY LIED TO US ABOUT VESPERA! SHE WAS RETIRED AND PEACEFUL!'
Anon_772: 'ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO WAR?! IS STEELTITAN GOING TO MARCH ON SECTOR 4?!'
"That's right, chat," Sienna said, looking straight into the lens as she backed toward the center of the workshop.
"We aren't sitting around waiting for an official statement or a legal appeal.
We're going to bust down Sector 4 Headquarters, find out exactly where Director Henderson took Evelyn, and bring our friend back home. "
She paused, a daring, electric smirk spreading across her lips as she tapped her wrist HUD. "So, first things first, internet... Chloe and I? We gotta suit back up."
The chat feed erupted. Millions of viewers began spamming the feed, assuming they were about to watch the two S-tier heroines step into their armor live on camera. But before the internet could completely lose its mind, Sienna let out a mischievous laugh.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, chat!" Sienna giggled, pointing a finger down at the lens.
"No, we are NOT suiting up on camera! Get your minds out of the gutter!
Some things are kept strictly private for Carlos's eyes only.
You guys just get to listen to the upgrade report, and maybe check us out after. "
A massive wave of disappointment flooded the live chat text feed, filled with crying emojis, humorous outrage, and playful protests from millions of viewers, but Sienna kept the camera lens firmly pointed at her bare toes and the concrete floor.
Right on cue, the heavy hydraulic lift in the corner of the workshop hummed to life.
G.I.D.E.O.N. glided forward, pushing a wide, motorized titanium suit rack. Suspended on the rack were two brand-new, immaculate sets of armor, gleaming beneath the overhead workshop LED panels.
"Suit delivery and tactical upgrade presentation commencing," G.I.D.E.O.N.
announced. "I have executed a complete overhaul of the equipment previously designated as 'Bureau Standard Issue'.
All federal tracking transponders, remote kill-switches, and restrictive tactical limiters installed by Sector 4 technicians have been permanently removed and destroyed. "
Chloe stepped forward from the archway, and she looked at her new armor in awe. "Gideon... these don't look like Bureau suits at all."
"That is accurate, Miss Sterling," G.I.D.E.O.N.
confirmed. "The previous Bureau designs were engineered to present you as a cold, institutional weapon of the state.
The new suit architecture has been redesigned to reflect your true identity: heroes standing for yourselves, your home, and your family. "
Chloe’s new suit was a masterpiece of form and function.
Crafted from form-fitting, heat-woven gold and deep crimson silk-alloy, it featured an open collarbone, a sleek girdle that accentuated her curves, and reinforced gold pauldrons that allowed her natural solar heat to radiate outward in a crown without overheating her skin.
It was bold, gorgeous, and unmistakably Solaris—free, empowered, and majestic.
Beside it hung Sienna’s new outfit. Gone was the clunky, scuffed silver fiber suit burdened with heavy external kinetic dampeners.
In its place was an ultralight, form-fitting bodysuit of dark turquoise and silver-threaded compression weave, featuring open shoulder cutouts, a striking plunging neckline reinforced with flexible mesh, and streamlined dissipation channels running down her thighs that allowed her speedster reflexes to operate with zero friction lag.
"They're... they're incredible, Gideon," Chloe whispered, shining with genuine pride as she reached out to touch the smooth gold fabric.
"A mathematically superior aesthetic and tactical outcome," G.I.D.E.O.N. bowed politely. "Please step into the alcove to execute outfit integration. Master Carlos will monitor structural readiness."
While Sienna kept the camera stick firmly pointed down at the concrete floorboards—allowing the five million live viewers to hear only the rustle of fabric, the zip of fasteners, and the soft, excited gasps of the heroines—I stood leaning against the drafting table, watching them get dressed.
My breath caught in my throat, floored by how incredible they looked.
Chloe unfastened her knit sweater, letting the soft cotton fall to the bench, leaving her clad in her lace undergarments before stepping smoothly into the golden crimson leg conduits.
The flexible silk-alloy slid up her legs, hugging her hips and cinching around her waist. She reached behind her back, zipping the rear seam shut, the fabric stretching taut over her chest and framing her silhouette in gold.
As she adjusted the open collar, a comfortable wave of solar heat bloomed from her skin, catching the workshop light.
Beside her, Sienna moved with fluid, athletic grace.
She stepped out of her shorts, her legs glistening in the overhead lights before she pulled the dark turquoise bodysuit up over her hips.
The compression weave clung tightly to her toned physique, highlighting every line.
She pulled the sleeves up over her arms, securing the front zip that rested right above her chest, her dark spiky hair twitching as electric-blue static channels ignited along her collarbones.
When they both turned toward me, locking the gauntlets around their wrists, my heart hammered against my chest. They looked like absolute powerhouses—formidable, beautiful, and ready to conquer the world for the people they loved.
"How do we look, Big Man?" Sienna purred, executing a slow, playful turn that showcased the sleek lines of her new suit.
"You look... incredible," I said. Those were the only words I could find.
Chloe walked up to my side, her golden-armored hip resting comfortably against my thigh. She reached up, her hand lightly caressing my titanium shoulder pauldron. "We do this together, Carlos."
"Together," I agreed, my deep voice echoing through my helmet vox-grille like thunder.
Sienna raised the camera selfie stick back up, slowly tilting the lens from the floorboards back up to frame the three of us standing shoulder-to-shoulder in full tactical armor.
I stood in the center, a massive six-foot-four wall of grey titanium and tungsten; Chloe stood on my right, radiant in gold and crimson, solar sparks crowning her braid; and Sienna stood on my left, sleek in dark turquoise and silver, electric static humming around her shoulders.
The live stream chat went completely wild, the viewer counter breaking six million concurrent streams as the world took in the sight of the three S-tier heroes.
Sienna looked straight into the camera lens, her raspy voice steady and fierce.
"What do you say, world?" Sienna asked, her hazel eyes blazing with electric light as she pointed the camera toward the open driveway leading out to the pass. "Shall we go and save Evelyn Cross, Vespera, our friend?"