The Library of Powers

Prologue

The mayor watched the lashing rain caress the panes of her office window, falling to the frame before freezing on the sill. Small inverted icicles were beginning to form. The thermostat told her it wasn't yet thirty-two outside, yet there the ice was.

"Could you maybe not play with your power and listen to my report?" A voice snapped in far too condescending a tone then she would normally allow. She moved her focus from the window to the man sitting opposite her desk. Lance Hannigan, director of the Adjusted Human Bureau in Vera City, her city, had an authority problem. Disheveled and peering at papers behind thin rectangular bifocals, his black trenchcoat hung on a peg near the door.

"Of course Lance. I hope you can understand why I'm distracted tonight," She replied, turning back to his update on the comings and goings of Vera City's superheroes. They met every month for an update, which normally only consisted of which supervillains were arrested and which superheroes would be receiving awards from her. Alice had given out so many keys to the city that she once found one in a pawn shop for twenty dollars. However, today was not a normal night.

Lance once again tried her limitless patience with him, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be gone before she arrives. Tell your sister hi from the man who will someday put her behind bars."

Alice grimaced at his comment, mostly because of how much truth there was to it. Alice's estranged twin sister, Phoebe, only visited once a year, and each subsequent visit grew increasingly nerve-wracking. At least Lance was nice enough to not use her visit as a trap. That kind of publicity would kill her chances of being re-elected next year.

Just as Lance Hannigan was about to continue his report, they heard the sound of ice cracking, closely followed by a knock on the window. Sensing he had overstayed his welcome, Lance consolidated all the papers he could and headed towards the door. Luckily, as the window creaked open, it was not Phoebe Winter who entered, but one of Vera City's finest, Phantasm. His wispy form coalesced into the room, and a moment later a tall grey man stood up, his head almost reaching the ceiling.

"The meeting is still occurring? Good. Sit down, Mr.Hannigan," Phantasm intoned, his voice deep, emanating not from his mouth but all directions at once. Lance sat back down but tidied up his remaining papers, the report obviously put on hold.

"I have brought news from one of our sleeper cells. It seems The Librarian has resurfaced in Vera City."

Alice ran her fingers through her greying hair. This was not good. If what Phantasm said was true, her hair would be white before summer hit. Lance, on the other hand, expressed his disbelief vocally. "No way. They're dead. The Librarian died in 86'."

"It is not just any cell that told us, but Zoltar: teller of fortunes," Phantasm responded, folding his ethereal arms. "This is going to be tricky. We can't fight them directly, the general populace thinks FRST is dead."

Phantasm had a way of telling people what they already knew, but in a way that foretold death and destruction. Alice had a way of telling people what they didn't know, but in a way that made them think they already knew it. It was why she was the one who was mayor. Taking charge of the conversation, she commanded, "Lance, keep the heroes in the dark, the ones that ever knew of The Librarian at least. Phantasm, alert the other cells, wake them up if you have to, they need to be on guard. We might need to... remove Zoltar if he knows too much. Is he loyal?"

"To his dying breath."

"Alright, we'll hold off on that for now. We need commotion to stir up the streets. Maybe the league could do us a favor. Wait, I have a better idea. Lance, arrange an escape from Sun River Penitentiary. A few high publicity, low danger villains will do the trick. They'll help us, whether they know it or not."