Location: Sentinel Prime, Earth's orbit. GAA Headquarters.
"What is so important that you pulled me from overseeing an ongoing neutralization mission of an alpha-level Awakened villain that has taken civilians hostage?" The GAA Director General, Draven Kael Thorne, yells at his staff.
"Sir, we think that we have finally found him." Replies the GAA Deputy Director, Selene Kross.
"And who that be, Deputy Director?" Says Director Thorne, intrigued.
"The electric Omega_level Stormborne that disappeared three years ago after wreaking havoc in various states, severely injuring mafia gangs, but sometimes Awakened heroes that crossed his path." Deputy Director Kross begins debriefing the Director.
"His last known sighting was when he attacked the Jaggernaut mafia syndicate, leaving them with severe third-degree burns, and brutalizing two alpha-level Awakened, namely the villain Jaggernaut and the hero Scorch."
"He melted half of Jaggernaut's body in his invincible titanium form and brutally beat up Scorch without resting right after killing the Jaggernaut. He beat up Scorch and left him on the brink of death."
"We were unable to determine his identity, but managed to know his body appearance from Scorch three weeks after he woke from the coma that omega level Stormborne had put him in and also from surveillance cameras that managed to capture the Stormborne."
"Earlier tonight, he disintegrated a beta-level hydrokinetic Awakened known as Aqua Marine, real name Thomas Smith and fried nearby electronics in the area, including a GAA patrol drone."
"The footage transmitted by that same drone was corrupted; for instance, we don't know how the encounter began, only the part when Aqua Marine lifts him off the ground, and then he disintegrates Aqua Marine."
"The Stormborne was wearing a hoodie just like last time. We don't know if he had a mask on because the footage we received, his face wasn't captured by the drone."
"Division 7 matched this footage with the one obtained from three years ago, and got a 97% match, plus the readings from the drone are off the charts."
Dr. Harlow, head of energy sciences in GAA Division 12, leaned forward, his glasses trembling on his nose. He handed Director Thorne a report about the omega-level Stormborne.
GAA CLASSIFIED
LEVEL: OMEGA THREAT ASSESSMENT
Incident Report #: 2026-CH01-KY
Date: [REDACTED]
Location: Hollywood, California
Time: 22:18:47
Reporting Drone: Unit GAA-D9
Operator: Automated Surveillance
---
Event Summary:
At 22:18:47, field drone GAA-D9 recorded a catastrophic energy discharge during patrolling involving an omega-level Stormborne. The victim, a beta-level Awakened hydrokinetic individual, was completely disintegrated in the initial surge.
Measured Output:
Voltage (V): ~ 700 million volts
(Approx. 2.3× stronger than the strongest naturally occurring lightning. Sufficient to vaporize a human-sized target and induce total electronic failure in the immediate radius.)
Power (Watts): ~ 140 gigawatts (GW)
(Equivalent to ~140 large nuclear reactors operating simultaneously. Instantaneous energy release exceeds containment protocols for field-level superhuman threats.)
Agency Assessment:
Potential Threat Level: OMEGA
Control Assessment: Unstable; discharge appears reflexive and uncontrollable under duress.
Containment Feasibility: Marginal; current field equipment is incapable of neutralizing without collateral damage.
Observations & Recommendations:
1. Subject demonstrates energy output far exceeding prior Omega-level projections.
2. Full capacity unknown; preliminary analysis suggests recorded output may represent <40% of true potential.
3. Immediate escalation to Director Thorne required. Deputy Director Kross to oversee containment protocol revisions.
4. Recommend deployment of reinforced suppression units and environmental isolation protocols.
Comments:
> "This is unlike anything we've encountered with any electrokinetic before. If this is only a fraction of the Stormborne's capability, conventional containment and intervention measures are likely inadequate. Extreme caution advised for all personnel."
"This report is really off the charts, but correct me if I am wrong, doctor. 700 million volts aren't enough to instantaneously disintegrate a person?" Director Thorne says confused.
"Yes, you're right Director, in normal physics it isn't possible, but we aren't dealing with normal physics here." Dr. Harlow begins explaining to the Director.
Dr.Harlow tells the Director that this Stormborne's body is not just a conduit for electricity—it generates a unique bio-plasmic resonance field. When he releases a surge, his energy interacts with molecular structures differently than normal electricity.
Dr. Harlow hands Director Thorne his notes about the omega-level Stormborne.
1. Voltage Amplification by Bio-Plasmic Field:
The 700 million volts he emits are amplified at a molecular level by his resonance field.
Ordinary human tissue has a natural harmonic frequency range. This Stormborne's energy is tuned to resonate with these frequencies, causing molecular destabilization almost instantaneously.
2. Instantaneous Molecular Destabilization:
The resonance causes water, fat, and protein molecules in the body to oscillate violently, breaking chemical bonds in microseconds.
Instead of simply shocking or burning, the human body is torn apart at a subatomic scale, appearing as if it has disintegrated.
3. Localized Field Effect:
The energy doesn't spread indiscriminately; it's focused around the target by the Stormborne's innate control.
Electronics in the area also fry because the field carries both extreme voltage and a "plasmic harmonic spike" that induces resonant currents.
4. Partial Fraction of the Stormborne's Potential:
700 million volts is just a fraction of his bio-plasmic output.
The GAA sees this as terrifying because even a partial surge can annihilate a human and fry all nearby electronics in seconds.
In-universe Justification:
> "This omega-level electric Stormborne's bio-plasmic resonance effectively converts voltage into molecular disintegration energy. Conventional physics cannot replicate this effect; standard lightning, regardless of voltage, would never produce the same result."
"Deputy Director Kross, tell Division 4 to deploy an anti-Stormborne suppression unit to Hollywood immediately." Yells Director Thorne.
"Sir, what if they fail to neutralize the threat? Should I make it a joint operation between Division 4 and Division 9?" Inquires Deputy Director Kross.
"If they fail, request aid from the Magnus Circle." Director Thorne replies. "Oh, Deputy Director, have Division 8 and Division 12 prepare a containment cell for our electric demon."
Location: Deep In The Alaskan Chugach Mountains. The Spire.
The new recruits shuffled into Division 13's training hall, boots echoing against the steel floor. Holographic panels cycled through maps, mission footage, and threat profiles, but the room felt cold—more courtroom than classroom.
At the front stood a man whose presence drew all attention. Mid-forties, sharp-featured, eyes like storm clouds, movements precise and deliberate.
"Welcome to Division 13," he said, calm and authoritative. "I am Instructor Cael Draven, an android replica of the director general himself. For this cycle, you will learn what it means to operate at the edge of humanity's understanding."
He scanned the recruits, letting the weight of his words settle. "Some of you will fail. Some will leave haunted by what you glimpse here. The rest might survive long enough to protect the world."
A hand raised, and a holographic chart expanded, color-coded divisions filling the room. Cael's voice sharpened slightly. "Before practical training, you must understand the machinery of the GAA. This organization anticipates, neutralizes, and controls threats beyond ordinary comprehension. Learn every division, every protocol, every responsibility. Fail to understand, and lives—yours and others'—will be lost."
He stepped closer, calm yet intense. "I do not coddle. I do not give second chances lightly. Every action has consequences. Know your place in this hierarchy, or you will feel them firsthand."
The recruits straightened, some feverishly taking notes, others staring at the meticulous layout of power and responsibility. Cael's eyes swept over them, unsettling in their composed certainty.
"And now," he said, voice steady and deliberate, "we begin."
The classroom lights flickered over the recruits, casting long shadows across the hall. The instructor stood calm, every gesture deliberate, his voice carrying authority.
"Listen closely," he began, pacing slowly. "The Global Awakened Authority, or GAA, was founded after the first recorded Awakened Manifestation in 1963. Since then, we've been the planet's primary force for monitoring, regulating, and, when necessary, containing Awakened and Stormborne threats, as well as other extraordinary anomalies."
The recruits scribbled notes, wide-eyed or tense.
"Two individuals oversee the GAA. Director-General Draven Kael Thorne—the Watcher of Storms—handles planetary-scale security. Cybernetic augmentations sharpen his mind, enhance perception, and ensure he sees threats before they see him. Deputy Director Selene Kross, formerly an awakened agent, manages intelligence and tactical foresight, balancing Draven's severity with pragmatism. These two are the axis on which all divisions turn."
He paused again, letting the weight of settle words settle once more. A holographic chart illuminated behind him, color-coded divisions stretching from 1 to 13.
"Division 1 is Strategic Oversight. Command hub, global threat tracking, satellite coordination. Strike teams from Divisions 4, 9, and 11 rely on them for real-time guidance."
"Division 2, Psychic & Cognitive Warfare. Telepathic threats, illusions, psychic mass hysteria—they neutralize what ordinary forces cannot. Intelligence feeds Divisions 7 and 10 for infiltration and rehabilitation."
"Division 3, Biological & Genetic Control. They manage Awakened bloodlines, hybrid Stormborne research, and rogue experiments. Provide bio-enhanced agents to Divisions 4 and 9, coordinate with Division 5 for containment."
"Division 4, Anti-Stormborne Specialists. Tip of the spear for energy anomalies and rogue Stormborne. Depend on Divisions 1, 5, and 9 for support."
"Division 5, Weapons & Engineering. They craft the tools others rely on—energy-absorbing gauntlets, resonant grenades, anti-Stormborne rifles. Without them, containment fails."
"Division 6, Celestial Research & Cosmic Defense. Monitor extraterrestrial and interdimensional phenomena, giving early warnings of potential cataclysms."
"Division 7, Counterintelligence & Infiltration. Rogue sympathizers, sleeper cells, secret societies—they find them all, ensuring civilians remain safe."
"Division 8, Prisons & Containment. Isolate dangerous awakenings. Coordinate with Divisions 2, 3, and 5 to prevent collateral damage."
"Division 9, Rapid-Response Strike. First to engage, last to leave. Precision and coordination define their operations against rogue Stormborne."
"Division 10, Rehabilitation & Propaganda. Manage public perception, emergency compliance, and controlled reintegration of awakenings."
"Division 11, Logistics & Supply. Without them, Divisions 4, 8, and 9 cannot operate. Weapons, containment units, armored convoys, Spire-Trains—they ensure everything arrives on time."
"Division 12, Research & Countermeasures. Think tank, laboratory, and moral grey zone all in one. They create the tactics, technology, and countermeasures all divisions rely on."
"And Division 13—you are here. We recruit and train normal humans, Awakened, and select Stormborne. We prepare operatives for field deployment and rigorously test every countermeasure Division 12 produces. You are the hidden gears that keep this organization functioning."
He let his gaze sweep over the recruits.
"Every division works in synergy. Early detection—Divisions 1, 6, 12. Field control—Divisions 4, 9, 11. Psychological and genetic oversight—2, 3, 7, 8, 12. Training and rehabilitation—10 and 13. Understand your place, and you understand the system. Fail, and someone will die because you hesitated."
He paused, letting the silence stretch, then smiled faintly—precise, not friendly.
"Questions?"
No one dared answer.
Location: Division 4.
The hangar doors roared open, revealing a sleek GAA stealth jet gleaming under harsh industrial lights. Six operatives stepped forward in perfect unison, their movements precise, almost predatory. Each wore the insignia of Division 4—Anti-Stormborne Specialists—the apex of tactical response.
Without a word, they boarded the aircraft. One by one, each agent slid into a custom seat, the hum of the engines vibrating through the cabin. Beside them, a digital file materialized, hovering in midair. Names, stats, threat assessment: their target.
An Omega-level Stormborne—electrokinetic. Location: Hollywood, California. Potential for mass devastation: extreme.
Eyes met data. Fingers hovered over controls. The jet shuddered, systems coming alive, as if it too felt the gravity of the mission.
Then, with a roar that shook the hangar, the jet's engines flared. Wheels lifted. Lights streaked. The aircraft broke free of the hangar, slicing into the night sky heading for Hollywood.