The Five Evolution

『"We’ve got this."』

The dimensional pocket space unfolded around them as they arrived that morning. The transition felt like stepping through a waterfall made of static electricity.

One moment, Amara stood in the Institute’s hangar bay with the rest of the Five, boarding what looked like a standard transport aircraft.

The next, that aircraft transformed into an armored version of itself before flying through a doorway that opened up in the fabric of space. However, nothing surprised her anymore.

As the armored aircraft moved through this pocket dimension, Amara’s first impression was that the space which hosted the Convergence couldn’t decide how large it wanted to be.

"Is anyone getting this?" she asked, shifting her attention to a floating debris ahead that seemed like a short walk’s distance, but the space felt like it was being multiplied as they approached.

"I stopped trying five minutes ago," Sophia said from across the cabin.

Meanwhile, Raj folded his arms and said, "I’m treating this place like a cat."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hiro asked while his face was plastered against the window.

Raj shrugged. "What I mean is, if it wants to be weird, let it be weird."

"Go figure." Hiro sighed. Then his attention was suddenly drawn to the gigantic building floating ahead with no foundation, and completely surrounded by more floating debris.

"That must be where the Convergence is taking place," Hiro whispered.

Amara nodded. "Yeah..."

"Arrival in sixty seconds." The Pilot began to flip down multiple switches. "Please remain seated until docking procedures are complete."

She had no clue how the Pilot did what he did, but she could appreciate it. Eventually, they arrived and docked.

They stepped out of the armored craft and looked around. For as weird as this place was, it had a survivable atmosphere and gravity.

"I was worried there for second." Hiro studied the environment. "Y’know, pocket dimension... with its own laws and physics."

"What now?" Raj asked. "We press the door bell?"

"Yeah," Ethan said. He walked up the stairs and tapped on the doorbell.

Nothing happened for several seconds and Hiro looked disappointed. "Press the door bell hu—"

The five of them were suddenly warped into the massive building.

Amara stumbled half a step, like she’d missed a stair she hadn’t seen. "A little warning next time," she said, catching herself.

Sophia looked at Ethan, "Yeah, a heads-up would have been nice."

Before any of them could voice any more complaints, their attention was caught by the spacious lobby around them, surrounded by pillars, each with different symbols on them.

A storm cloud. A dragon. A sun. An eye. An archway... all of which represented a particular branch.

By the corner, she found a corridor that was split into two paths. When she followed one with her eyes, it eventually emerged from the other side of the same intersection.

"I feel like I’m tripping," Hiro said.

Not exactly the word she would use, but yeah, this place made you feel like you were inebriated.

Across the spacious lobby, someone stepped through a doorway. A second later Amara spotted the same person through a nearby window.

"I stand corrected," Amara said. Because for a brief moment the person appeared to be walking behind themself. "Some things still surprise me."

The idea that a person could be in a room, looking at their rear from a window in that room made Amara observe with a raised brow.

Waiting for them near the center of the room stood the Director and Yelena.

The Director’s gaze swept over the five of them, pausing briefly on Ethan’s newly manifested third bar, and one corner of his mouth lifted. "Good. You made it."

Sophia folded her arms. "You say that like there was a chance we wouldn’t."

The Director glanced toward the entrance behind them—or where the entrance should have been. There was only a smooth wall there now. "In this place?" he said calmly. "There was."

"This place is crazy," Sophia said as she tried to sense the psychic topology. "I can feel minds everywhere but I can’t pin down locations. The space itself is distorting my perception."

"This place will do that," Director Hale said. "And it was designed for exactly one purpose: allowing all twelve Directors to meet without fear of external interference or internal betrayal."

As if to emphasize his point, another doorway materialized across the lobby. Through it stepped three figures. Two guards, and between them, a woman whose presence spoke for itself.

Director Yuri Shirogane.

Behind Yuri, her guards radiated power. One carried what looked like a nodachi. The other’s hands were bandaged from his fingers, all the way to his shoulders.

"Hale," Yuri called, her voice carrying no false warmth this time. Her gaze landed on them and she smiled. "I hope you Five are prepared."

"Director Shirogane," Hale replied with equal formality. "To answer on their behalf, I would like to think they are."

Yuri approached the Five, circling them like a predator examining potential prey. "Is that so?" Then she spotted Ethan’s third bar and there was a small, barely noticeable tug at her lips.

When she was done circling, which was clearly meant to throw them off, Yuri stepped back and addressed Hale directly. "Why is it that they seem to always be where there’s trouble?"

"Hm?" Director Hale raised an eyebrow.

Yuri smiled as she shook her head and raised a finger. "They got into a fight their first day at the Machine."

Director Hale nodded. "Yes. A simple rivalry between the Sun and Storm branch is all."

Yuri raised a second finger. "That same day, Amara here got herself into another fight with member of a different Branch." Her smile sharpened. "Would you call that rivalry as well, Daniel?"

Amara’s fingers clenched tight. She couldn’t believe she was being blamed for starting a fight she never even wanted.

The Director clicked his cane against the ground once. "We both know Beatrice Sinclair was a tortured soul." He sighed. "Hopefully, she’ll have enough time to reflect in her new branch."

New branch huh? Amara thought to herself. She hadn’t really given it much thought since that day, but she supposed she was happy that Beatrice was getting the help she needed.

Meanwhile, Yuri continued. "Their success rate relies on coincidence." She frowned at Director Hale. "And their very existence increases instability."

Then her voice turned cynical. "You’re asking the Council to commit full resources to this current Five who’ve just been lucky so far. I’m telling you now: I will vote against it."

"I’ve seen what they can do when everyone else fails. You just have to be willing to see it too," Hale replied calmly.

"I don’t need to. The ending never changes." Yuri turned to leave, her guards falling into formation. "The demonstration is in two hours. Try not to embarrass yourself, Director."

She disappeared through a doorway that vanished behind her, leaving behind a deafening and awkward silence.

"Still as nice as the last time," Hiro said finally.

"Don’t take it personally," Director Hale said. "Yuri is... complicated."

"What if she’s right?" Sophia said quietly. "What if we’ve just been lucky so far?"

"And the evaluation will expose us for the frauds that we are..." Hiro completed, already folding up and tapping on his lips as panic built up.

"No," Amara said immediately. "We can’t chalk it all up to just luck. We sure as hell worked our butts off to get here. And we’re getting better every day."

Before anyone could respond, more doorways began materializing around the chamber. Directors were arriving with their entourages, each one a power in their own right.

A massive man with a military bearing and cold eyes, Director Konstantin Mikhail of Storm. He traveled with three guards who all moved and carried themselves like soldiers.

An elegant woman with six golden necklaces around her neck, Director Okoye Baffa of Arcadia. She had just one guard, but he gave off a vibe that felt like he was enough.

More Directors filtered in, faces Amara didn’t recognize, names she’d memorize later, all of them bringing their guards and judgment.

The lobby began to fill with pressure as every new arrival altered the atmosphere. And the Five stood at the center of it all, about to be judged on whether they were worth believing in.

"Two hours," Director Hale said quietly. "Use that time to center yourselves and prepare. But you can handle it. I wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise."

He left them to join the other Directors in what looked like a preliminary meeting, leaving the five of them standing alone in a chamber full of people who expected them to fail.

For several seconds, nobody spoke, and around them, the Convergence continued as though nothing had happened.

Then Raj leaned closer. "So... are we all pretending there wasn’t weird tension there?"

Everyone turned to Raj, waiting for him to elaborate.

"I mean, come on..." He stared at them. "Is it just me, or did the Director definitely tap that?" Raj asked.

"Yuri?" Sophia asked. She stared into the distance for a moment. "Now that you mention it..."

Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose without saying anything.

Hiro grinned, putting his arm around Ethan’s neck. "A hundred percent."

Amara raised an eyebrow at Hiro. "And what would you know about that?"

Hiro immediately looked flustered. "Ju—just because you two have been having sex like rabbits these past two days doesn’t mean you’re suddenly experts. I know stuff too."

Amara simply stared at him, a small smile forming on her face. "Uh-huh..."

"What’s with the smile?" Hiro frowned. "I know plenty. I’ve been with lots of women."

Sophia lowered her head, shoulders trembling as she tried not to laugh.

Raj, on the other hand, patted Hiro sympathetically on the shoulder, which had completely sagged. "It’s alright, buddy."

"Okay, okay," Amara said. "That’s enough." She pulled the team into a tight circle. "Listen up. I know that was rough. I know Yuri’s words hit hard. But here’s the truth: we’ve got this."

"We’ve got this?" Sophia’s brow went up.

Ethan raised an eyebrow as well. "Is that really all you’ve got?"

"Hey..." Amara’s voice softened.

"I guess not everyone can be Optimus Prime," Hiro said dryly.

"Can it, Hiro," Amara said while they were still huddled together in a circle.

Hiro immediately kept quiet, then mumbled, "I’m just saying..."

Surprisingly, her basic motivational one-liner seemed to have done it for Raj, because his usual confidence was returning.

"Hell yeah, we’ve got this," he said with a wide grin.

"That’s the spirit," Amara added with a smile.

Around them, Directors, guards, and Awakeners continued to arrive. Some looked curious. Some looked hopeful. Most looked unconvinced.

Amara tightened her grip around the hands of her team. Two hours from now, they would either become the Council’s greatest investment, or confirm every fear Yuri Shirogane had voiced.

Either way, the Convergence had begun.

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