First Fans and the First Crack

These people were not stealing a generator. They were stealing the story. If the hero looked useless on camera, the audience would decide the entire low-tier system was trash. If the school lost its emergency supplies, the alliance could blame “weak frontline capability” and then sell more expensive upgrade packages the next morning. One stone, two birds. Maybe three. And he was conveniently the best object to mock. “What are you smiling about?” the leader asked. “I’m thinking,” Aiden said slowly, lifting the shield, “that you people probably never fought anyone who can actually do arithmetic.” The first round looked exactly like everyone expected.