First Fans and the First Crack

Only one low-rank hero is on site: Aiden Carter.” The chat lit up instantly. ["This is the standard humiliation setup."] ["F- hero meets actual criminals. Game over."] ["I’m here for the crash."] Aiden stood in the center of the schoolyard with a folded fire axe in one hand and a borrowed reflective shield in the other. In the dark, search beams from the drones swept over him like stage lights, isolating him for the whole world to watch. The raider leader waved a crowbar and laughed loudly. “Hey, delivery guy. This isn’t your drop-off zone. Move. We only want the goods, not your life.” Aiden looked at the children huddled by the gym entrance, then at the drones all around him. And then he understood.