“Look what we have here.”

Runaway could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she looked at the hand that had appeared in front of her. Its wriggling fingers were stained with blood.

‘That’s my blood’ she realised. She looked down and flinched as she saw that the hand had gone through her back and come out the other side. She couldn’t be sure of how bad the damage was with a cursory glance but she could feel the flesh of the arm piercing the bottom of her heart.

“Et tu E-23?”

Runaway winced as she turned her head around to see who the owner of the voice was, her twisting body pushed against the hand and more pain spread through her body.

She frowned, standing behind her was a man she had never seen before, “Who are you?”

He had tattoos running down his arm and she didn’t recognise the brown hair or distinct blue eyes that were staring at her either. If he was part of the organisation then he was either a new member or someone that hadn’t worked with her directly while she was being raised in the lab.

‘Then how does he know who I am?’

“They call me the Information Broker, and no, I’m not part of the organisation that created you if that’s what you’re thinking. Let’s just say we… have a mutual arrangement with them, one that will earn us a lot of profit for returning you to them.”

There was a loud bang and the villains head snapped to the side as crack appeared in the wall. “Hey you!” A voice called out as the cracks connecting the wall expanded and exploded, a single shape flitting through the opening. The villains face made a crunching sound as Traitor hit it with an aura infused punch, “I thought I sensed something weird.” Runaway smiled at the sight of Traitor and she felt hope welling in her heart.

She felt the villain tense as Traitor raised his fist to hit Information Broker again. A sharp pain coursed through her body, Runaway felt the hand sliding out of her stomach as the villain went flying across the room and smashed to the floor.

“Hey are you okay?!” Traitor’s face was laced with worry as he looked down at the gaping hole in the middle of her stomach. She could feel that it was already healing so she waved her hand towards the villain, who was already getting up and looking pissed.

“Looks like someone troublesome has turned up,” Information Broker brushed himself off and raised his hands, “I had been warned that you were guarding E-23 Avenger, or should I call you Traitor now?”

Traitor grimaced at the mention of Runaways former name and she saw the villain grin at his react.

Shouting voices were sounding out from the end of the training rooms and Runaway could see several heroes entering the room, they were probably chasing after the villain, “I’m afraid I don’t have time to play games with you.” Traitor and Runaway’s eyes widened as blue veins began to pulsate across his skin and he disappeared. Runaway cursed silently as the air shifted behind her and she felt the villain reappearing behind her. She moved her hand of her stomach but she hadn’t recovered enough to move yet, she felt him break through the healing flesh with her hand and she was lifted into the air by his powerful arm.

“I see the hole is already regenerating, what a terrifying power. But the energy toll must be huge, you can’t do anything else while you’re recovering can you?”

He shifted to the side as Traitor’s fist flew towards his face and in a single elegant motion he grabbed the aura filled fist to stop it from hitting him, “As for you, I have other ways to deal with you. “

Traitor visibly glowed with anger and his aura flickered around his hand as he struggled to free his hand, blue veins pulsated along Information Brokers body and Runaway tried to reach to Traitor to push him away from the villain. She wouldn’t make it.

*Crash*

The heroes chasing after the villain smashed the door down and fanned out as they viewed the scene before them, the villain had pierced a hand through Runaway’s chest and Traitor was being held in place with the other while blue veins were running across his skin. Several blurred and disappeared as soon as they realised what was happening but the villain just looked at them and laughed.

“I’m afraid you are far too late, goodbye my friends, this has been a rather profitable evening.”

Sugar jumped into the air and punched at him but before it could land the villain had already disappeared.

Information Broker, Runaway and Traitor had all vanished into thin air.

~~~~

*Knock knock*

“Madam”

Flora sighed, “Come in Light.”

Squeaking sounds filled the air as Light dragged his feet across the floor. He was too tired to lift them. He moved the chair in front of her desk back and sat down with a slump, Flora frowned.

“I heard you sparred against Runaway.”

Light lifted his hands up defensively, “I know, I know, ‘we don’t antagonise the death machine’ or something like that.”

“Then why did you do it?” She asked and he shrugged.

“I just wanted to test how powerful she was. The answer is incredibly powerful as it turns out. I was going full power by the end of it.”

She stared at him. It was hard to tell sometimes whether Light was playing around or just stupid. He saw the look on her face and rubbed his head.

“I would have won eventually.”

“The fact that she’s powerful enough to make you become serious is a whole new problem in itself. You should be able to handle dozens of death machines by yourself, maybe even hundreds.”

Light chuckled weakly, “I don’t think anyone except Emperor could handle hundreds of death machines.”

“This isn’t a joke Light!” Flora found herself shouting before she realised it, “If someone can mass produce death machines strong enough to fight on par with an S class hero then they could easily wipe us out.”

Light shook his head and placed some papers on her desk.

“You don’t think I thought about that? I checked with Photon. He says that since her genetic makeup was mostly human it’s physically impossible for her to have simply been created over the space of a few months, or even a few years.”

“Meaning what, Light?” Flora was barely keeping her temper in check. She grabbed the papers and started flicking through them.

“Meaning that the machine, the girl, is as old as she looks, someone spent seventeen years raising her to be the person she is. Photon says it would have taken more money than any ordinary organisation could muster to build her in the first place and millions more to raise her. For now at least, we can assume that no organisation in the world, not even the hero association, could create more than one of these things without going bankrupt.”

Flora breathed a sigh of relief. At least that was one major worry out of the way. Light didn’t have the same relief on his face.

“But that also means that she was built during the war-“

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Light and Flora jolted as the sound of an alarm rung out in the office. The doors opened and a pale faced hero walked in.

“Madam! The villain Information Broker’s broken into the archive.”

Flora sighed, ‘It’s just one problem after the other today.’

“Come with me.” Flora stood up and exited the office, the trio walked down the hallway.

“What happened to the heroes on guard duty?”

“They were stopped. The villain was a lot stronger than our files indicated.”

“Injuries?”

“Two dead, four injured. He managed to access and make copies of the files of dozens of heroes.”

“Light, I want you to teleport down there immediately and stop him. I’ll send a team of heroes after you to help out.”

*Smack*

“I can’t.” She looked at him in surprise and saw that he was physically hitting himself in the face, “I used up all of my energy fighting Runaway. I need at least another ten minutes.”

Flora cursed, “The information he copied contains their personal identities. If he were to make them public their lives and their family’s lives would be at risk.”

“I’m sorry Flora, I can’t help, hold him off for ten minutes then I’ll have recharged enough to fight him.”

“Madam!”

Flora turned her head to the hero that had reported the news. She was looking at her personal assistance device and making an expression of horror. “Information Broker has escaped the archive room and disappeared. According to the tracking devices he has appeared within D block.”

Flora stopped walking and stared at the hero, “D block? That’s over five kilometres away!”

She shook her head to clear her mind, “Who’s in the area?”

“The PADs indicates that there are five heroes in the immediate area, Killer, Runaway, Force, Halfling and Traitor are all there. All are ranked C except for Traitor who’s in the lower D rank.”

“Impossible, they were just here!” Light shouted out in surprise

Flora smiled, ‘Avenger’s there, good.’ She motioned to the hero, “Inform Traitor and Runaway to head towards the villain immediately and tell the others to stay back. They won’t be a match for a villain that took down several B and A ranked heroes.

“Tell Force to fight the villain as well.” Flora shot Light a confused look as he gave the order to the hero. He would have to have a good reason for sending a C ranked hero into an impossible situation.

The hero frowned, “Information Broker has met up with several known villains, Halfling and Killer have already engaged in combat with them. Runaway’s PAD is reporting her status as severely wounded.”

Flora shot a glare at Light, ‘Even if she’s been weakened, they had someone that could take on an improved death machine?’

“Tell them to be careful and disengage when they have the chance. We’ll have to hope that the others can hold off the villains until reinforcements arrive.”

“Understood.”

The hero continued speaking into her personal information device and turned the nearby corner as Flora and Light continued walking towards the archive room.

“Kyaaa!”

A scream ripped through the air and the pair ran back to where the hero had left them, she was trembling on the floor looking at the man looming over her. The man turned to face Flora and a chill ran down her spine as his eyes met hers.

“I couldn’t help but overhear that my apprentice has been sent orders to fight a villain.”

Flora’s shock gave way to a smile as she heard the man’s voice.

“I hope you don’t mind if I tag along to watch?”

Light blurred and appeared between the man and Flora and started to shimmer brightly as he prepared to fight the new arrival, he was trembling from head to toe.

“Wait, Light! He’s a friend.” She called out to him. He stopped shimmering and blinked at her. She pointed to the man’s face and Light gasped. The man chuckled, “It’s alright. I’m used to that reaction.”

Light hurried his hands to his sides and saluted at the man, “I’m sorry! I didn’t recognise you, it’s been so long. How have you been? Can I help you in any way?”

Flora sighed at his shameful display, “Stop grovelling Light,” She continued looking at the man, “I see your pressure is as strong as always.” The man shrugged, “Sorry, I can’t just turn it off like a power.”

She didn’t mind, “Seeing you today has been the first good thing to happen to me this week, and we’d be honoured to have you along.” The man smiled at her words and nodded his head.

“Sounds like fun. Shall I fly us there?”

Flora grinned, “I won’t be going, but Light can show you the way.” She pointed to the trembling hero and grinned harder as the man picked him up and held him in his hands.

“Greetings Light, I may be a bit weak but please take care of me.”

Light chuckled faintly, “If you’re weak then I’m an ant.” He looked at his personal assistance device and pointed out the nearby window, “That way.”

The man grunted as his feet shot off the ground and he flew through the window. Flora ducked as shards of glass and broken wall fell around her.

The hero that had been on the ground watched the pair leave with her mouth open and Flora turned to face her, “You know, I really wish he wouldn’t break the bullet proof glass every time he came, it costs us a lot more than he realises.”

The hero got off the floor and faced Flora, “Madam, was that who I think it was?”

Flora nodded her head and clicked her fingers at the hero, “Send a new message to all the heroes fighting against Information Broker and his allies.”

“What would you like me to tell them, madam?”

“To hold their own until Emperor arrives.”

The hero nodded and scuttled down the hall. Flora looked back to the spot where a wall had been just a few seconds ago.

“I wonder what Avenger’s reaction is going to be when he meets up with Emperor after all these years.

She began to walk back to her office and froze in her tracks.

‘Did he say apprentice?’