HERO!

4: RE-EVOLUTION

The dark skyline of C-City shimmered beneath the pale moonligh,neon signs lightning the streets below. Among them,a high-end casino stood out,Its towering structure casting a long shadow across the district. Inside,the air was thick with smoke and the murmurs of gamblers losing fortunes. But hidden away in one of the private VIP Rooms,the stakes were much higher than the money....

The room was dimly lit,the only source of light coming from the glowing card table at the center. Around it sat six shadow-like figures as their faces were obscured by the dim light,each were wearing a unique emblem on their tailored suits. These group of men were called..

THE APEX

As they played a game of cards (poker),The leader of the Apex,also known across city C as Scorp. Scorp had flipped his cards with a smirk. His emblem,a scorpion,was etched onto the sleeve of his suit. He had a cold and calculating demeanor as his pale fingers had drummed on the table.

???: "Raising the stakes again scorp?"

The unknown man would chuckle,This man was also a friend of Scorp known as Taur. Taur had an emblem of a bull embroidered on his suit

Taur: "Something must be on your mind so let's hear it."

Scorp had leaned forward,his voice calm and venomous

Scorp: "The Hero Exams had concluded earlier today. The association has brought new blood into the mix,however,they are irrelevant. Even better news is..we are close—Closer than ever before actually. Our new subject is showing incredible results. If things go according to plan,we'll have a Demon Level threat in less than a week!"

???: "Demon Level..?" Scoffed a man named Loe,a slender man with piercing eyes. He tossed his cards aside as he was uninterested in the game of poker. "We need more than that if we're going to see real progress. What good is a Demon Level Threat when the Heroes will just swoop in and save the day? We need something bigger..something more catastrophic.."

Scorp: "Patience,Loe...Evolution is a process. But however,Rest assured,what we are creating is not just a threat but it's the FUTURE. Soon,Humanity will have no choice but to evolve to survive this creature!"

From the corner of the room was Aquari,one of the female members of the Apex. Aquari took a sip of her wine,her long fingers twirled over the glass. Her emblem was that of a water bearer and had shimmered under low light.

Aquari: "Soon the association will catch wind of our activities soon..We have already lost two laboratories. Are we sure we are not possibly moving too fast? We don't want to attract their attention until they're ready."

Scorp: Scorp chuckled "Oh don't worry,Aquari. We are already attracting their attention! That's part of the plan anyways..The heroes grow complacent. They think they have seen the worst of it,but they haven't scratched even the surface! The real threats are still to come."

As the others listened,Arie,the most volatile member and the second female of the Apex,had slammed her fist on the table causing chips to scatter.

Arie: "LETS CUT THE CRAP! I'M TIRED OF WAITING! I WANT TO SEE CHAOS! DESTRUCTION! IF WE'RE GOING TO UNLEASH THESE MONSTERS! THEN LETS DO IT! THE SOONER,THE BETTER!"

Scorp's gaze had shafted to Arie as he was unphased by the sudden outburst.

Scorp: "Don't worry,Arie. You'll get your chaos soon enough. But for now we have time to play the game."