The room was silent, tension hanging heavily in the air. Each of the nine flag-bearers sat, their faces a mixture of anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration. The weight of the decision before them was immense—facing the first apocalypse. Ygros, the terrifying creature the government had identified as the first of ten apocalypses, was unlike anything they had ever encountered. Despite their fame, their powers, and their status, none of them wanted to face it. None of them knew how to face it.
Frank Cenya stood near the window, staring out into the stormy skies. His powerful ability to transform his body into steel had made him nearly invulnerable, allowing him to take on nearly any threat head-on. But Ygros was a different monster altogether.
"I know what you're all thinking," Frank began, his deep voice breaking the silence. "But this thing? We have no idea what we're dealing with. Even if we did, we'd still be outmatched. Ygros is a whole different kind of monster. The kind that can't be predicted."
He turned to face the group, frustration clearly evident on his face. "My masters, the ones who trained me—they've made it clear that I shouldn't take this risk. They say we need to know more before we can even attempt something like this. I can't ignore their advice. It's not just about my safety; it's about strategy. I'm not rushing into this without a plan. And right now, we don't have one."
Benny Pluzeski, the young powerhouse with his ability to control metal, shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had always been confident in his control over his powers, but Ygros was an unknown threat. His abilities had helped him take on high-ranking monsters in the past, but this creature was something far more unpredictable. He couldn't even begin to imagine how his powers would hold up against something like it.
"I get that we all have our reasons," Benny said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But honestly? I just don't think we have the kind of intel we need to face this thing. This isn't like fighting a monster we've dealt with before. The government's saying this is a whole new level of threat. And frankly, I don't think any of us are ready for it."
He glanced around at the others. "The sponsors who've helped me get here—they've told me not to go after this. Not unless we know exactly what we're up against. I'm not going to sacrifice everything just because we want to try and be heroes. We need more information."
Beth Coleman was seated at the back of the room, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her telekinesis had always been one of her most powerful tools, but against Ygros, it felt like she would be bringing a knife to a gunfight.
"I've dealt with threats before, with things that should have been beyond my strength," Beth said quietly. "But this isn't like that. We don't know if my powers will even affect it. I've faced monsters, sure, but nothing like this… nothing this unpredictable."
She paused, considering her next words carefully. "My mentors, the ones who've helped me build my strength—they've specifically told me to stay out of it. They think it's too risky. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think they're right. We don't have the kind of data we need. And without that, what are we even fighting?"
Kenya McLane, ever the thoughtful strategist, sat quietly as the others spoke. Her ability to summon spirit animals had always given her an edge in battle, but she couldn't fathom how her spirits could help in a fight with something like Ygros.
"My spirits have never failed me before," Kenya began, her voice steady but laced with doubt. "But this is different. This isn't the kind of battle where I can just call on my creatures and expect them to fight. Ygros doesn't follow any rules I understand."
She shook her head, her expression hardening. "I won't risk my spirits without knowing if they can even touch it. The forces that trained me—my ancestors—are telling me to stay out of it. And for once, I'm going to listen."
Paul Brunted, the explosive powerhouse, had been silent up until now, his large hands resting on the table. His ability to manipulate explosive orbs was his trademark, but Ygros was a different breed of threat. Could his explosions even harm something so powerful?
"I've thrown bombs at enemies before. Explosions, projectiles—they're my thing," Paul said, his voice thick with frustration. "But this thing isn't something that's gonna just blow up. It's too much of an anomaly. No one knows how it reacts to force. What if my explosions don't work on it? What if they just piss it off?"
He sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "My sponsors have been clear. They don't want me involved in something like this unless we know what we're dealing with. And frankly, I'm not going to risk it, not without more information."
Montiro Mendez, the gunslinger with magic-infused firearms, was known for his precision and skill in battle. He could shoot down multiple targets with ease, his enchanted guns able to deal devastating damage. But even he knew when to pull back.
"I can take down anything that crosses my path," Montiro said, his voice calm but serious. "But Ygros is different. This thing isn't something we can just shoot and expect it to go down. My magic guns are powerful, but I don't know if they'll work on something like that. Hell, none of us do."
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing the side of his head. "My mentors have warned me. They've seen the reports, and they're telling me not to go. Without a full assessment of the creature's powers, this is a risk I'm not willing to take."
Toma Ubashi, the ice-powered hero, had been quietly contemplating the situation. His ability to manipulate ice had always been his greatest asset, but even he couldn't predict how Ygros would react to it. His powers had worked on creatures in the past, but something like Ygros seemed far beyond anything he had encountered.
"I know how powerful my ice can be," Toma said, his voice steady but filled with doubt. "But this thing… We have no idea how it works. And if my ice doesn't have any effect, what then? I can't risk wasting my powers on something that might not even be vulnerable."
He stood up from his seat, his eyes determined. "The agencies who sponsor me are telling me to stay out of it for now. They want to know more about Ygros before I go in. And I trust their judgment."
Emi Koto, with her super speed and her special lance that moved independently, was silent for a long time. She had faced threats with unparalleled speed, but even she had no idea how to gauge Ygros' power. Her lance had always been her ace in the hole, but against a monster like Ygros, she couldn't be sure of its effectiveness.
"I'm fast. My lance is fast," Emi began, her voice quiet but strong. "But speed and strength alone won't guarantee victory. Ygros isn't something we can predict, and I don't know how my lance would react to it. My mentors are advising me to hold off for now, to wait and see."
She exhaled sharply, her gaze focused. "I'm not backing down, but I'm not going to throw myself into the unknown without knowing what I'm facing."
Threya Atoshi, with her earth-bending abilities, had always relied on the strength of the earth beneath her feet. But Ygros was a different type of force. It wasn't just about strength—it was about something deeper, something more dangerous.
"I can move mountains," Threya said, her voice low but firm. "But Ygros? I don't know if my powers will even make a dent. I've been told by those who trained me to wait. They're cautious. And, I'm going to listen."
She looked out across the room, her eyes hard. "We need more intel. We can't just rush into this."
The room fell silent after everyone had spoken, the weight of their collective decision clear. Despite their powers, despite their fame as the flag-bearers, they were all unwilling to risk their lives without knowing more about the creature they faced. Ygros was an unknown—too dangerous, too unpredictable. They weren't running from a fight. They were simply waiting for the right moment, for more intel.
They were going to make sure they were ready when the time came.