Book 01 - HUE - Blurb + Prologue

Hello! Gonna hit the ground running with "real" chapters tomorrow and then ease up to what I expect to be a light release schedule of at least 2 a week, Mon + Friday. Hopefully more frequent, but my schedule is all over so I can only guarantee two a week. Book 01 will be a thicker book, with what looks like it'll end up with 70+ chapters if all goes well. Hope you enjoy!

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Blurb:
A fallen legend. A hopeful recruit. A city overflowing with power

Sami’s been waiting his whole life to help people. Now he finally has the power—and the invite.

Seventeen, optimistic, and newly Awakened, Sami’s powers aren’t flashy: a Shadow Hand that can lift maybe a chair, and the ability to see other people’s powers like glowing clouds above their heads. But in a city where danger is rising and heroes are in short supply, that’s more than enough for the Hero Unification Entity.

HUE is Hammerton’s first attempt at organizing heroes. Volunteers, misfits, and idealists trying to protect the only city in the world where people are suddenly sprouting powers. It’s barely holding together… and criminal Awakened are multiplying by the day.

Once, the world had Lightcrown: the first and only Awakened of his time. But twelve years ago, he was part of the Silent Scream; a catastrophic event that killed hundreds and marked the end of an era. Everyone believes he died that day.

Everyone except Sami.

Because Lightcrown isn’t dead. He’s just going by Pinn now. Older, bitter, and doing everything he can to stay out of the spotlight. He wants nothing to do with heroism or HUE. Especially not some overeager kid asking too many questions.

But Hammerton is Awakening at an unprecedented rate. And whether they like it or not, Sami and Pinn are about to cross paths—and change everything.

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Prologue:

Much as he dreamed of it, Alex never imagined he would meet the most powerful man alive. And after the fact, he wished he didn’t.

Robots stomped around the street, rapidly searching between cars and buildings for victims. Standing on two obsidian feet, their faces were a smooth, curved surface with opaque covers over screens just beyond the surface. They stood about six feet tall and carried a deadly aura about them as they moved with a fluidity reserved for living things. 

 The ground emitted several tremors as the large humanoid creatures raced around, cracking pavement with powerful metallic limbs. Shrieks filled the skies, stacking to a constant, dissonant yowl. The scene before Alex was a chaotic jumble of crushed cars and rubble; the air hung heavy with the scent of dust and gasoline, as his eyes trembled with adrenaline. Blood trickled down the back of his head. He was cold with fear, his feet planted to the ground. 

With a single, metallic punch, he witnessed the bots make feats like destroy multiple cars, or bring down a building. And at one time, a single blow was even enough to kill a family.

His family. 

Rounding a corner, a bot scanned him for a moment, its smooth head motionless. Alex held his breath, freezing in place and hoping it would​​ scan past him. 

“You will donate to The Cause?” it droned questioningly, stomping toward him and shaking his world. 

Alex stumbled back and fell to the ground. “No, no!”

“Donate to The Cause.” It was no longer asking.

The street memorized its footsteps as it crushed the distance between them and loomed over the ten-year-old. 

“I don’t have any money!” Alex said, panicked. 

“Inconsequential.” The bot reached down and held Alex up by his legs, shaking him as though searching for loose change. 

Nothing fell out, Alex screaming all the while. Another bot approached, stomping its way over and grabbing his arms. They pulled in opposite directions. It was unclear whether they were doing it on purpose or ignoring one another, but one thing was certain. 

Alex was being torn apart. 

His muscles screamed in protest, stretched to their breaking point, and he felt the searing pain of tiny tears. Crying out in agony, Alex began hoping for his life to end, just for the pain to stop there and not get any worse. 

Then, a bot disappeared. 

Flopping down in the arms of the other bot, Alex blinked from his upside down position. Two metal legs smoked where the bot was standing only an instant ago. A small hopeful smile on his face, Alex saw a young man with a flaming white head tear down from the sky, radiating pure energy. 

Lightcrown. 

Rearing a shining arm back, he thrust it into the bot and melted it from the inside. Alex fell from the malfunctioning bot releasing its grip and was immediately caught by a quick swipe of Lightcrown’s arm, placed gingerly on the ground in the span of a heartbeat. Alex wobbled slightly, unfocused. 

“Get out of here, it’s not safe,” Lightcrown told him and pointed. “You need to run as fast as you can. Go toward Hammerton Central.” 

“Can you come with me?” Alex clung to his leg. “I don’t wanna go by myself.”

Kneeling down, Lightcrown’s face was unreadable behind the warm light of flame. But there was a softness in his tone. 

“Sorry, buddy, but I have to go save more people. I need you to be brave and go. Now.”

Alex nodded. Lightcrown was already on the move, pivoting in place and blasting off with such force that Alex stumbled back. 

With mouth wide open, Alex remained in place, the scene capturing him more than his need to find safety. Lightcrown was fighting for him. Right there! And he was winning. The pinnacle of human potential. The apex display of the extraordinary in the robot-infested neighborhood. Alex wished he could help, but Lightcrown was the only one with incredible power. 

Two blocks down, another set of bots looked up as Lightcrown landed near them. One charged forward. Lightcrown became a blur and suddenly had his hand on the bot’s face. The next moment, the bot was like a crushed can of soda, tossed away. Lightcrown disposed of the second bot without seeming to notice it. Lightning arced from the powered young man and erupted into a powerful explosion, leaving no machine bits behind. 

Inching forward, Alex got a better view from behind a mound of rubble. 

Bots tackled Lightcrown from the air, but he was quick to spin in a tornado and fling them off, shredding them apart with abilities unknown. Like it was effortless for him to throw multiple powers at once, always ready for a new way to destroy the robots. 

Looking around at the dozens of bots in that one area alone, Alex felt a seed of hope  foster within him. Lightcrown was winning, and he got to see it all. Maybe this day wasn’t as bad as he originally thought. 

Then more bots tackled Lightcrown from the sky, and when he fought them away, Alex witnessed the first drops of blood fall from Lightcrown. His eyes widened slightly, his heart going tight. 

As though they had discovered their target, bots turned from their victims and raced in to smash into Lightcrown. One after another, they piled onto him like a football dog pile with no sense of preserving themselves. The bots would crash into him with such force, pieces would fly off as they squished further into him, each attacking with what limbs remained.

So many piled onto him that Alex couldn’t even see Lightcrown anymore. Fear gripping his chest, Alex stepped back and ran. 

But not before a scream emanated from the pile of bots and erupted into an explosion that swallowed him and everything around him.