Surfer's Paradise, Australia
Jay appeared on Surfer's Paradise beach with blue energy crackling around him. The Australian sun beat down; tourists and locals scattered across the sand. Kids building castles, couples laying on towels and surfers riding waves. The smell of salt and sunscreen was heavy, and so was the sound of waves crashing and seagulls calling.
But strangely, nobody noticed him. His reality warping created a subtle and elegant perception filter, making people's eyes slide past without registering his presence.
A tourist walked right past him and didn't even glance. A kid ran through where Jay stood, correcting course unconsciously without knowing why. The filter made him a blind spot; he was present but unperceived.
"Babe! You're finally here!"
He was about to dial Domino's number when he heard her. He smiled, turning to find Domino walking toward him in her Hawaiian shirt and beach hat. Behind her was a tall woman, golden-skinned and athletic, clearly Heather Cameron.
But what surprised him was the group of people following them at a distance, twenty, maybe thirty. Phones out and banners waving. Shouting encouragement, some wore homemade Lifeguard shirts, and others had signs.
"LIFEGUARD SAVES LIVES!"
"MUTANT AND PROUD!"
"THANK YOU, HEATHER!"
The crowd pressed closer. It was enthusiastic and overwhelming. Heather looked uncomfortable. Her shoulders clearly hunched, and smile forced.
Domino cheerfully hugged him. "You know you stand out like a sore thumb in that damn suit of yours, especially here on a beach, right?"
Jay hugged her back, then turned to the golden woman. "Hello Heather, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Heather's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened wide as she grabbed Jay's hand and shook it too hard. Words tumbling out in a rush, thick with her Australian accent. "No no, it's my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jay! Bloody hell, I can't believe I'm meetin' the Power Broker in the flesh! And I was so rude to your girlfriend earlier, I'm absolutely mortified! She probably thinks I'm a total drongo!"
Jay looked at Domino with a confused expression. She just shrugged. "Apparently, she's a big fan of yours. She was very thankful you chose her and her brother to help with the invasion."
Heather spoke quickly, words tripping over each other as her face flushed. "No, it's not like I'm some crazy stalker or anythin'! It's just, my whole life I wanted to be a lifeguard. Help people, yeah? Save lives. But even after achievin' it, I felt limited. Like I could do more, but couldn't reach far enough. But after you triggered our powers during the invasion, enhanced them, I could finally do what I truly wanted. Help people to the best of my abilities. Really make a difference, you know?"
Jay saw her earnest gratitude and smiled. "It's heroes like you that deserve all the praise. Maybe that's why there's a group of fans following you around?"
Heather turned and saw the crowd. The poor girl didn't know where to hide. "Oh God, not again. They've been followin' me since I got back from New York and went active here. Don't get me wrong, they're lovely people, but it's a bit much sometimes. Can't even grab a coffee without someone wantin' a selfie or askin' about the invasion. I'm just a lifeguard, yeah? Not some celebrity."
The crowd pressed closer as their voices called out.
"Heather! Can we get a photo?"
"Lifeguard! Over here!"
"Is that the Domino? Oh my God!"
Jay, seeing her discomfort, waved his hand. The people just dispersed, their attention sliding away like water off glass.
Heather asked, surprised. "What the hell? How did you...?"
Jay replied. "Ah, I've picked up a few things in my time dealing with fans, zealots and cultists, you name it."
Seeing Heather's increasingly absurd expression and mouth agape, Domino finally broke, laughing. "I can't, the poor girl's just too easy to tease! You should have seen her acting all tough when I first approached her. All professional lifeguard, protectin' her turf. But the second I mentioned it was you who wanted her help, she did a turnaround so hard I nearly got whiplash!"
Heather looked like she wanted to sink into the sand as her hands covered her face.
Jay couldn't find any words, so he decided to go straight to business. He addressed Heather directly, who was busy trying to silence Domino from embarrassing her more. "Heather, I need your help. In fact, for what I'm planning, you are a crucial key."
Heather's posture straightened, her embarrassment pushed aside. "I'm ready for whatever you need, mate. Just point me at it."
Jay nodded and teleported them with blue light as the beach vanished.
Savage Land Base
The trio appeared in a blue flash. Heather hunched over, stumbled to the balcony edge immediately, puking hard from the effects of teleporting thousands of miles in an instant.
Domino reached out to console her, steadying her as Jay called out. "My bad! First-timers always have a bad experience with teleporting."
Heather, mid-puke, managed to say between heaves. "But we already teleported…twice... to and from New York!"
Jay smiled. "Well, it wouldn't make much sense to summon heroes to fight an alien army only for them to puke all over Manhattan, now would it?"
After a few minutes, Heather finally stopped and wiped her mouth. Then she looked up and realized where she was.
From the open balcony, she could see large flowers the size of a car and strange plants everywhere. Then she saw pterodactyls flying in a herd, their wings casting shadows across the valley. And beyond them, the long necks of Brachiosaurus, moving slowly and grazing on trees.
"Are those bloody dinosaurs?" Her voice rose. "And is that a glowing mountain over there? Where the hell are we?"
Domino said. "Welcome to Savage Land. This is a small piece of comfort we stole from the world, and you are our first guest. But I guess we aren't doing that well in hosting you, huh?"
Heather stared at the dinosaurs again, processing them. Then at Jay and Domino. Then back at the dinosaurs. Her brain trying to catch up with reality.
After a moment, she threw her hands up. "Right. Okay. Dinosaurs, glowing mountains, teleportation to Power Broker's secret base. Sure. Why not? I've fought aliens in New York. This is just... this is fine. Totally fine. Not losin' my mind at all."
Domino grinned. "Ooh, I like her."
Jay gestured toward the interior. "We should talk inside. And you'll want to sit down for this."
They moved into the base. Comfortable furniture with books and tech scattered around. The sound of the waterfall came from outside. Heather sat on a couch, still processing and adjusting to the weirdness that was Jay and Domino's life.
Jay sat across from her, and Domino sat beside him. Both watching Heather carefully.
Heather finally spoke. "So, what'd you need me for? Who should I kick or punch? I'm ready to help however I can."
Domino's grin widened. "See? I knew I liked her."
But Jay said. "We're not fighting anyone, not physically at least, not with her of all people, hopefully."
Heather looked confused as her brow furrowed. "Then why do you need me for?"
Jay leaned forward, his expression serious, as this was the hard part. "I recently met a young hero. He goes by Spider-Man, just a teen, a kid with superpowers. His uncle recently had an accident; he was hit by a bullet and was in critical condition. Fortunately, he's saved now, but the kid went through too much and had a complete breakdown right there in the hospital."
Heather's expression softened. Understanding. "Poor kid. That's rough."
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Jay continued. "In the middle of his breakdown, he asked me something. Questions I couldn't stop thinking about. 'Why does everyone always need a hero? Why do people get hurt again and again? Why are heroes always needed for people to live their simple lives peacefully?'"
Heather was silent, processing the weight of such questions from someone so young. From a hero who should still be in school. Her hands clenched. "I sometimes think those same things. I've been a hero for a few weeks now, but even in such a short time, I've seen so many people hurt and nearly die. From small accidents to bullets to some random power-crazy villain attackin' a shopping center. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the opportunity to help. But I feel a special connection with these questions since my power literally works around savin' people. That's why they call me Lifeguard, I guess."
Jay hummed and continued with growing confidence. "But what if that wasn't the case? What if we could make the world itself a savior? Imagine Earth sensing danger. The planet itself stepping in to rescue people or stop threats before they escalate and giving it's people better chances."
Heather's eyes widened. "Is that even possible? We're talkin' about the planet becomin' a caregiver! And from what I know about the sea, nature's pretty cruel and indifferent, mate."
Jay stood. His confidence building and voice carrying conviction. "Of course it's possible! We're in the age of heroes, no, we're in the Age of Marvels! For God's sake, anything and everything is possible now! Norse gods are real. Aliens invade from portals. People like me can bend reality with their minds. Why shouldn't Earth itself be able to protect its people?"
He turned to Heather directly and looked her in the eyes.
"And you, Heather Cameron, are the key to all this."
Feeling Jay's fervor, she got up, all eyes on him, her heart racing. "Yes, I'll do it! Whatever you need, mate. Just tell me what!"
Jay and Domino both became downcast. The energy in the room shifted as Jay's confidence faltered slightly.
"Well, that's the hard part," Jay said quietly. "As you know, I'm the Power Broker. I deal in powers themselves. And I need your powers, Heather. I need Lifeguard."
Heather stumbled back, her enthusiasm draining only to be replaced by shock and hurt. "What? But why mine? They're nothin' special compared to yours! You can do bloody anything!"
Jay shook his head, holding her shoulder and consoling her, his voice apologetic. "Your powers are the key to everything. Listen, now you have Danger Detection Response- the ability to sense threats to human life automatically. And on top of that, you have Situational Biomorphic Adaptation- with which your body manifests whatever powers are necessary to save lives in that specific situation. Wings to fly, gills to breathe, armor to protect and strength to lift. The variety of your manifestations appears almost limitless."
He paused. Let the words sink in.
"Now imagine that power spread across the entire planet. Not just you sensing danger in your vicinity. But Earth itself sensing every threat to every person. Thousands of Lifeguards ready to make hundreds of thousands of interventions and, in turn, saving millions of lives. All because of your power."
Heather sat down, heaving as tears built in her eyes. "How do you even know all of this? Even I didn't know I could do so much! I just reacted to save people."
Jay just said with a self-deprecating smile, "It's what I do."
Domino moved to Heather's other side. Put a hand on her shoulder and said nothing, just offered presence.
Jay sat beside her, his voice soft now. "But more importantly, imagine what would happen if there were multiple people- No, multiple Lifeguards with your powers all around the world, ready to respond in moments of disaster and risk to life of normal citizens! A global network protection!"
Heather loved her new powers, her golden looks and even the way she helped people.
The looks she got weren't always kind, but she'd grown used to them because she loved the feeling she got from saving people. Seeing them smile despite the danger they'd just faced and knowing she'd made a difference.
But she could also see Jay's vision. A world where powers like hers existed everywhere. Where danger couldn't catch people unaware, and where kids like Spider-Man didn't have to become heroes to keep their families safe.
This was why she became a lifeguard, wasn't it? To save as many people as possible. To make a difference and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
But it didn't lessen the pain of her next decision.
She said with misty eyes and voice thick with emotion. "I get it. When you put it like that, I get why my power is necessary. But it's just… it's hard, yeah? These powers, they're part of who I am now. Part of my identity. Lifeguard isn't just a bloody codename. It's who I am."
Her hands shook, but she clenched them. "But savin' people is more important than anythin'. More important than me feelin' special and my pride. I would give anythin' to save as many as possible. That's why I became a lifeguard before all of this, because savin' lives matters is the only thing that really matters."
Domino squeezed her shoulder; her own eyes were suspiciously moist. She'd seen mercenaries face death with less courage than this girl was showing right now.
Jay's mood was very heavy as he bowed his head in genuine respect. He clasped his hands and earnestly thanked her. "Thank you so much, Heather. You have no idea what you've just done for this planet. If we succeed, if this pays off, millions and billions in the future will be saved directly because of your effort. And I can't even begin to imagine the sacrifice you're making. So please, if I could do anything, no matter what, please just name it."
Heather wiped her eyes and steeled herself, came to a decision and said. "My brother Davis has been missing since we got back from New York. After we found out our father died in a gang war, and worse, that he was an underworld criminal lord known as Viceroy, Davis became distraught. He was there with me in New York, and since he loved surfin', his power manifested as the ability to teleport with warp waves. After comin' back to Australia and findin' out our dad's truth, he vanished. Just surfed off teleportin' from wave to wave. To this day, I can't find him. I'm terrified somethin' happened. That he's hurt or alone or..."
Her voice cracked from the fear she'd been carrying.
Jay nodded, stood up and used the depths of Mad Jim Jasper's universal reality warping. His eyes' whites were replaced with black. Stars speckled among them like he'd swallowed the cosmos. His awareness expanded as it stretched across the planet. Feeling space and sensing disruptions. There - in Goa, India. A beach with waves and riding those waves, a young man with the Cameron genetic signature. Teleporting, surfing and lost in the motion.
Jay reached out and made a grabbing motion across space.
To others, it looked like a simple motion of the hand closing. But when the motion was completed, Davis Cameron was there. Held up by his throat in Jay's grip. Pulled across thousands of miles in an instant, ripped from one beach to another through pure cosmic will.
Davis's eyes went wide with shock and disorientation. He tried to teleport using his powers, but nothing happened as Jay's null field suppressed it and held him in place.
Heather saw her brother, and her eyes went wide as joy and relief came crashing over her. "Davis!"
She lunged forward. Freed him from Jay's hands, pulled him into a hug, kissed his head and held him tight. "Oh my God, Davis! Where have you been? I've been so worried about you! I couldn't reach you! I thought... I thought..."
Davis, after seeing his sister after a long time and recovering from the shock of forceful teleportation, just broke down and hugged her and started crying. Words tumbling out between sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Heather. I just couldn't handle it. Dad bein' dead. Findin' out he was a criminal. The invasion was a blood bath with all those people dyin'. I felt like I was drownin' and the only thing that helped was surfin'. So I just kept goin'. Wave to wave. Beach to beach. Tryin' to outrun it all."
Heather held him tighter as her own tears fell. "I'm sorry too. I didn't know you were goin' through so much. I should've been there for you. I should've looked harder."
They stayed like that. Brother and sister, reunited. The pain and fear of weeks apart finally released.
After everyone calmed down, Davis pulled back and looked around. Saw the dinosaurs outside, the impossible base, even Jay and Domino, who were silently watching. "What the hell is goin' on? Where are we? And is that Power Broker?"
Heather carefully explained. What Jay was planning, what she'd agreed to and what it meant.
Davis's expression shifted from confusion to understanding and finally to anger. "No way you're takin' my sister's power, no matter how strong or godlike you are! Those powers are hers! Part of her!"
But Heather calmed him down. Put her hands on his face and made him look at her. "It's my choice, Davis, my decision. And more importantly, you're back safe, and we're back together. That's all I care about"
After a lot of back and forth, Davis finally calmed down and accepted her decision. Didn't like it, but understood her choice, and he'd respect it.
Heather approached Jay and extended her hand. Her golden skin catching the light filtering in from outside. "Go ahead, Power Broker. Take my power, but promise me you'll save as many as you can. Promise me this will matter."
Jay stood and took her hand. His expression was solemn and respectful. "I promise. The world will remember you and forever be indebted to your sacrifice."
He activated his power theft to gently take away her power. But he stopped mid-theft and suddenly used his power to scan her genetic makeup more deeply and saw a strange pattern of alien DNA woven through her human genes, finally subtly revealing this secret of her origin.
"Say Heather, did you know your mother?"
Heather, surprised by the question, shook her head. "No, we were too young when our mother passed away. Dad never talked about her much. Why do you ask?"
Jay smiled. "Your lineage isn't as simple as you think. Your mother wasn't human. Or at least, not entirely."
He used his gene activation and reached into her dormant alien lineage in her DNA. The Shi'ar bloodline waiting as expected, and he triggered it carefully.
Heather gasped as her body transformed. Golden wings erupted from her back, and sharp claws extended from her fingers. Shi'ar markings appeared on her face in elegant patterns that marked her royal bloodline. Her golden skin intensified and became armor rather than cosmetic.
Davis stepped back in shock. And Heather looked down at her new form, her wings spreading instinctively.
Jay completed the power theft by taking her Danger Detection Response and Situational Biomorphic Adaptation. The powers flowing into him and settling. But he left her Shi'ar abilities intact. Enhanced them even to compensate, however, he can.
"Apparently, your mother was a member of the Shi'ar Empire. Royal bloodline, from the markings. I'd guess some exiled princess who crashed on Earth." Jay's voice was gentle. "She had a relationship with your father, the Viceroy. That's where you and Davis come from. Half-human and Half-Shi'ar. Your brother should have the genes too, though they haven't manifested the same way."
He gestured at her new form. "Now you have her power. Your golden form increases all your abilities. Strength, regeneration, durability and more- you know the works. Those claws can cut through steel, and those wings let you fly at nearly supersonic speeds. You can still save lives, Heather. You're still Lifeguard, just in a different way."
Heather's relief was palpable as tears streamed down her face from the connection of knowing her mother and still being able to help people. She flexed her wings and felt new strength in them.
Davis moved to her side and held her, processing their newly discovered heritage.
Jay spoke softly. "You and your brother are welcome anytime to come and train in this facility and get used to these new abilities. Davis can teleport you both wherever you want with his warp waves. It's the least I can do."
The scene settled with Heather and Davis holding each other and coming to terms with what they'd learned.
Jay felt Heather's powers settling into him, integrating and becoming part of his arsenal.
One step taken toward an impossible goal.
Just one final step remained.
He looked out at the Savage Land. At the impossible geography. At the world that needed saving.
"Soon," he whispered. "We change everything soon."