Beneath the city, in a totally-not-illegal-and-absolutely-safe abandoned bunker, four teenagers sat around, either pretending to be productive or actively making the situation worse.
Ember, a brown-haired mess in a slightly singed suit, flicked a small flame between his fingers like a man who had never heard of fire safety. "So, any news, or are we still in our retirement phase?"
Iceberg, his best friend and full-time rival, spun his chair like a Bond villain, casually forming an ice sphere in one hand. "Relax, dude. Not everything has to be non-stop action. Sometimes, we just—" He let go of the ice ball, which immediately shattered on the metal floor. "Okay, I was gonna say 'chill,' but that felt too easy."
Lizzy, the group's designated responsible one (which wasn't saying much), was studying a city map covered in scribbles, push pins, and an aggressive amount of circles. "We've got energy spikes here, here, and—oh wow—here. If this is the work of those shadow creatures again, I'm gonna lose it."
Alchemi, their resident engineer and chaos gremlin, kicked open a side door, goggles reflecting the dim light. "Before you all run off and get yourselves nearly-dead again, I've upgraded your suits. Stronger, better, less flammable. Looking at you, Ember."
Ember put a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended. "You act like I'm a hazard."
"You are a hazard," Iceberg and Lizzy said in unison.
Alchemi, not waiting for thanks, tossed Ember's new suit at his face. "Just don't set this one on fire, okay?"
The team suited up and prepared for their night patrol.
---
Chapter 2 – Shadow Business
Walking through the dark, abandoned alleyways, Ember strolled ahead like he owned the place, fire flickering in his palm. "Ah, the nightlife. The quiet streets. The total lack of anyone throwing me into a river."
Iceberg, trailing behind him, grinned. "That's what you call character development."
Lizzy, trying to keep them on track, sighed. "Shut up and look alive. There's something here."
A smoky figure slithered into view, its form flickering in and out of existence. The Shadow Lord's creatures were back.
Ember cracked his knuckles, flames roaring to life. "Alright, buddy. You wanna do this the easy way or the fun way?"
Iceberg smirked and conjured a frost spike. "Knowing you, there is no easy way."
Lizzy rolled her eyes before slamming her foot into the ground, sending a rock barrier shooting up to block the shadow's escape. "Less talking, more capturing."
Alchemi fired an electric blast from her gauntlets. The creature sizzled like an overcooked marshmallow before vanishing into the night.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Ember muttered, extinguishing his flames.
"At least we got rid of it," Lizzy said.
Iceberg stretched. "Alright, let's go home. I'm tired of playing hero. I wanna go back to playing video games and judging Ember's life choices."
---
Chapter 3 – How Lizzy Became One of Us
Lizzy didn't join the team. She accidentally got recruited after a rather chaotic incident at a collapsed subway station.
While Ember, Iceberg, and Alchemi were trying to help, Lizzy was actually succeeding.
She stood atop a fallen pillar, barking orders at panicked civilians while single-handedly holding up the remains of a wall with her earth powers. "Stop crying and MOVE! Do I look like I can hold this forever?!"
Ember, watching from a distance, nudged Iceberg. "I like her."
Iceberg crossed his arms. "You like anyone who can one-up you in an argument."
Alchemi, adjusting her goggles, grinned. "I say we keep her."
After the dust settled (literally, thanks to Lizzy), Ember approached her like a businessman offering a job. "You're good at this. Ever think about doing more hero stuff?"
Lizzy wiped the sweat from her brow. "You mean, like, full-time babysitting a bunch of walking natural disasters?"
"...Yes."
She had sighed, probably realizing she had no better options, and said, "Fine. But if you people get me killed, I'm haunting you."
And just like that, Lizzy became part of the chaos.
---
Chapter 4 – School is a Scam
Alchemi slammed a stack of school uniforms onto the table. "We're going undercover at August International School. Weird energy readings. Possibly linked to the Shadow Lord."
Ember held up a uniform and squinted. "High school? Seriously? I just escaped school. You're telling me I gotta go back?"
Iceberg smirked. "Can you even spell 'school'?"
Ember glared. "That's irrelevant."
Lizzy sighed. "It's a mission. Don't mess this up."
---
Undercover, but Barely
Once inside the school, it became painfully clear who was blending in and who was absolutely not.
Lizzy? Immediately found her way into the science lab and started gathering intel.
Alchemi? Got herself a TA position and used the lab equipment to scan for anomalies.
Iceberg? Became popular in ten seconds purely by existing.
Ember? Lasted five minutes before getting in trouble.
At lunch, they regrouped in the courtyard.
Alchemi tapped on her tablet. "Energy spikes are strongest near the lab. We'll sneak in after dark."
Ember pointed at Iceberg. "Bet you ten bucks I get caught first."
"You always get caught first," Lizzy muttered.
---
Breaking Into a School (For a Good Cause, Probably)
That night, the team snuck into the lab.
Ember, holding a small fire in his hand, whispered, "Okay, where's the shadow?"
Iceberg grabbed his wrist. "Dude. You're glowing like a candle. Be subtle."
Lizzy shushed them both and gestured toward a dark figure looming over a desk.
Without hesitation, Ember flung a fireball. "Surprise, nerd!"
The shadow hissed. Iceberg launched an ice blast. Lizzy sealed the exits with rock walls. Alchemi zapped it into oblivion.
"Mission accomplished," Lizzy said, dusting off her hands.
Iceberg smirked. "We are so good at this."
Alchemi checked her scanner. "Uh... guys? That wasn't the only one."
---
Chapter 5 – Alchemi's Mysterious Disappearance
The next morning, Alchemi was acting weird. And by weird, I mean weirder than usual.
She locked herself in her workshop, sparks flying as she messed with her gauntlets.
By evening, she was gone.
She left behind a single note with coordinates.
"This is suspicious," Lizzy muttered.
"It's a trap," Iceberg added.
Ember cracked his knuckles. "Then let's walk straight into it."
---
The Factory Showdown
They found Alchemi standing alone in an abandoned factory, surrounded by flickering shadows.
Something was wrong. Her usual hyperactive energy was gone. Her gauntlets sparked ominously.
"Okay, this is the part where we fix whatever's happening," Ember said, setting his hands ablaze.
Alchemi didn't respond. Instead, she attacked.
Cue chaos.
Fire, ice, and rock flew everywhere as Alchemi dodged and countered with lightning-fast reflexes.
Finally, after a well-timed combo, Iceberg froze her mid-air while Lizzy created a rock barrier to pin her down. Ember extinguished her gauntlets.
She collapsed, unconscious.
Iceberg sighed. "Well, that
was dramatic."
Ember slung Alchemi over his shoulder. "Let's go home before we get possessed next."
They left the factory, knowing full well their problems had just begun.