08/28/3122 YDB – August 28th, 3122
Up high in the mountains of Arcadia where snow covered the area even during the summer months, there was a town. It was a small, simple town, the type of place where everyone knew everyone, and whenever news was to arrive in town, it spread quickly.
This small quaint town up in the cold was currently going through one of the worst summer blizzards of recent years. Temperatures were several degrees below freezing, and a mixture of snow and hail pelted down onto the mountains.
Even the tough mountaineers who lived in this climate all their lives didn't dare leave their homes for the past couple of days of snow unless necessary. Despite the dangerous storms, the buildings here were built sturdy and it was unlikely that any damage would occur as long as everyone stayed indoors.
This at least had a benefit for the local emergency services as they could simply stay in their offices and relax. Worry about any problems after the storm was over, just enjoy their own quiet time for now.
Within the local precinct, all the officers on duty were currently huddling among themselves next to their fireplace discussing their current missing person.
"Where in the world is that kid?" One of the officers named Mac asked.
"Who are you talking about?" Officer Barkley asked having just finished locking up the snowmobiles outside and returned back into the building, "Damn it's cold!" Barkley cursed as he took off his snow-covered winter gear.
"Did you see the kid out there?" Another officer Charles asked.
"Who? The city boy? He's not back in his home?" Barkley asked as he sat near the fire to warm himself up.
"No, he said something about catching a suspect or something?" Officer Bob asked.
"When was that?" Mac asked as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Right before the storm hit." Sheriff Marge said leaving her office and approaching the group.
"What? Are saying that he's out in the mountains?" Mac chuckled.
"He radioed in yesterday saying that he was going near the peaks and that he would be radio silent from there on out. So if he was to be believed, yes." Sheriff Marge said with a shrug.
"In the middle of the storm? How old is he? Sixteen? He have some sort of death wish? That's Yeti territory up there." Barkley scoffed.
"Well he's one of them fancy city boy officers in training, isn't he? An Arcadian Defence agent? Maybe he got overconfident. They are said to be the toughest of the tough." Charles said.
"Should we go out to find him?" Bob asked.
"We don't know where he is and in the middle of this storm it would be suicide. We'll only be able to search once things settle." Sheriff Marge said before muttering, "Kid was so small. Don't think he'll do well in this storm. If we're lucky, he'll be holed up in a bivouac when we find him."
"If we don't?" Barkley asked.
"Then we'll have to call the AGDF and report him missing." Sheriff Marge said sternly.
"What was the kid's name again?" Mac asked after a moment of awkward silence.
"Archer Griffen." Bob said.
"That's a weird name." Mac said just as the door to the outside swung itself open.
All the officers inside the precinct turned around in shock as they saw what caused the cold air to billow in. Entering through the door was a smaller man covered from head to toe in winter gear, and strapped onto his back was a massive man who looked semi-lucid.
The man who entered the room and turned and closed the door. Swivelling back to the officers he removed his snow goggles and face cover to reveal a jovial smile as he looked at them, it was Archer Griffen. He straightened out his spiky crewcut that had been flattened due to his hood.
"Hello Sheriff Marge. I found him." Archer said as he gave a salute while the man behind him groaned out.
"The holding cells are on the left, right?" Archer said as he walked over to the holding cells with his snowshoes to the empty holding cells.
"F-f-f-five daysss. It's finally over." The man moaned out as he was being carried.
"Here you go." Archer said as the five-foot-six boy effortlessly tossed the nearly seven-foot man into the cell, "That'll teach you to try and hunt without a valid license."
Shutting the cell door behind him and locking it, he walked his way over to Sheriff Marge who was looking cross. Archer greeted his host kindly.
"Is something the matter ma'am?" Archer asked concerned at her expression.
"What is this?" She said sternly.
"I caught the suspect ma'am." Archer reported.
"You've been gone for the past two days travelling through the mountains during one of the worst blizzards in years to arrest someone over paperwork? Do you know how much danger you put the two of you in?" Sheriff Marge asked incredulously. The rest of the group looked to Archer who continued his calm demeanour.
"Oh, yes ma'am." Archer said nodding his head, "I am well aware of Leonard Howitzer Strauss, a millionaire big game hunter who is wanted across the world for his illegal hunts of endangered and sacred wildlife."
"Strauss? As in the Huntsman Strauss? Famed psycho hunter? The one that snuck into the country three weeks ago?" Mac said stunned.
"I first caught wind of him when a camera caught his face in a gas station a few hundred kilometres down south. I'm assuming he stopped for a simple resupply and didn't think anyone would notice his presence." Archer said continuing his report.
"Why is a supervillain here?" Sherrif Marge asked currently floored by this sudden information.
"The endangered species of carnok rock eagles mate during the summer up here in the mountains as you already know." Archer continued to explain as if he was giving a presentation, "In the past they were fearsome creatures that ruled the mountains and have been hunted to near extinction because of that. Their feathers are prized for their use for fletching arrows and Strauss was prepared to hunt down the pair residing in this area."
"So that's why you're here?" Officer Bob asked.
"Yes. After indication of Leonard Strauss being in the country a few provincial officers attempted to arrest him a couple weeks ago and were unfortunately killed in the line of duty. I was then sent after him, caught him, and stripped him of all dangerous equipment." Archer said finishing his report.
"You caught the supervillain. By yourself?" Sheriff Marge said after a long pause of silence.
"Yes. We AGDF tend to be a peculiar bunch. I will be taking him to be extradited out of the country tomorrow. I have already contacted my superiors and you should be receiving a call soon." Archer said and on cue, the phone rang.
Sheriff looked at the phone and then back at the politely smiling Archer before slowly picking up the phone, "Yes." She said still in shock, "Your agent is here with Strauss. Yes. Thank you."
***
08/28/3122 YDB – August 29th, 3122
After finishing his report for the AGDF Archer Griffen returned back to the WDO and laid in his bed reading a recently published novel by his favourite horror novelist. It was a story about a group of college students lost in the woods and slowly their numbers were being whittled down one by one through mysterious forces. It was an interesting read.
While officially he was an Acadian Global Defence Force recruit, unofficially he was part of the WDO as a hero in training, what was once considered to be the greatest league of superheroes. These days it was far less popular and the number of members had dwindled greatly.
"Hey there Archer! I knew you would be hiding in your room after coming back." A voice called out, entering Archer's room without knocking. It was Anderson Flash, a fellow WDO in training.
"I'm resting. I was up in the mountains of Arcadia. It was freezing." Archer replied not looking up from his book.
"Weren't you born there? Shouldn't you be used to the weather?" Anderson said with a grin. He was six-foot-four, with long curly brown hair that had been tied up into a ponytail, and his muscles popped out in contrast to the colours of his brightly coloured Hawaiian shirt and shorts. In contrast to Archer's babyface, he had a fully trimmed beard adorned on his face. It also helped that he was three years older than Archer.
"I wasn't born up in the mountains." Archer said dismissively as he finished reading his chapter and put a bookmark into where he was at and closed the book.
"Well from the reports it sounded like you were. Did you really hunt the big game hunter for three days?" Anderson asked as he walked over to Archer's mini fridge and dug out a can of Archer's lemon iced tea stash.
"Five days actually." Archer said with a casual shrug.
"Really now?"
"What's happening? Are we listening to Archer brag again?" Another voice said from the doorway. It was the face of the new generation of WDO heroes, Zachery Moore. He had a bright friendly smile on his face with sparkling blue eyes and his well-kept, combed-over blonde hair.
"I'm not bragging. He just asked for details over the last mission." Archer said.
"So bragging." Zach joked which caused a visible roll of the eyes from Archer, which in reaction got a few laughs from the other two.
"How did you catch the psycho hunter anyway? Heard you stalked him?" Zach asked.
"Something like that." Archer said giving a small nod, "Once he killed the two local officers, he left enough hints for me to follow. I was then able to isolate him and keep him away from other civilians. I got lucky and he was in the middle of a resupply when he was forced to run."
"You starved the man for five days?" Anderson said with a laugh.
"He still had the ability to hunt so I had to keep hounding on him. I forced him up the mountains earlier than he wanted and I stayed at a town while waiting."
"How was fighting a poor, hungry, and frostbitten man?" Zach asked.
"Oh, rather easy." Archer said which got more laughs, "Finding him was the hard part with all that snow. Found him in a makeshift bivouac. Complained about me hunting him which I find a bit of a double standard."
"The young Cerberus of the WDO can sniff out a man through snow." Zach said grinning.
"Yeah, yeah. My bad for doing my job. Don't you have some schoolchildren to give speeches to?" Archer said shaking his head.
"Actually, no. My schedule has been cleared for the last couple of days."
"Why?"
"Same thing why every trainee is coming back by tomorrow morning." Anderson explained, "It's selection time for the special assignment."
"Oh, right the thing for that school." Archer recalled, "Is that why they shipped me back immediately?"
"Yep, every trainee available is to be part of the selection process. Though it's not really needed I think. They sort of already know who the top three choices are." Anderson said scratching his beard.
"I mean there are a large number of people who want to be the one picked." Zach said.
"Why? Most of what they would teach for at least the first two years would already be known." Archer asked, not really understanding the popularity of this job.
"Well, it lets people go to school and act like a kid. Most of us don't really have normal childhoods considering how we're training to be heroes." Zach reminded him.
"Training to be WDO members. Not heroes, they are correlated but not always connected." Archer said.
"Yeah, not everyone is planning on being plastered on cereal boxes and action figures, 'Soaring Comet'." Anderson said pointedly at Zach.
"Unofficial cereal boxes and action figures. I don't make a dime from that." Zach corrected.
"Shame, most hunters and adventurers have sponsorship deals and everything." Archer said. At a period in which monsters and magic nearly wiped out the planet, these occupations were created to try and control the chaos.
The romantic notion of making riches through vanquishing monsters and taking back lost land from the wars of the past was prevalent worldwide. Plenty of people grew famous from their success and have been able to successfully commercialize. Much to the dismay of some of the more traditional-minded, but it was more than understandable to Archer.
"I get wanting to be a hero. Give hope to people, stroke your own ego. But why is everyone so interested in going to school? I thought the premise of this job was to stop disasters from occurring." Archer asked finding all the clamour of being selected rather overblown.
"Well they're going to a place where it's filled with mystery and wonder and they know that they'll automatically be one of the best in their year. It's a nice place to go to if you want to be the cool kid." Zach offered, "Don't forget half the guys we know have origin stories that would fit a cliché villain. Being liked is always nice."
"That's pretty stupid." Archer said with a face of judgement.
"Why? People like good things to happen to them." Anderson said raising an eyebrow.
"This isn't vacation though. This is a job. A job regarding security for one of the most important places on Gaia. At a time when it is most crucial as the largest influx of students Trinity Academy has ever had is entering the place. As reports have stated, not all of these students might be there to learn as they could be potential spies, terrorists, killers, monsters, and the like." Archer said gesturing with his hands as he explained everything.
"You know the name of the academy." Zach pointed out, "You've been reading the reports haven't you?"
"Well, it is very important." Archer said shrugging as he leaned back on his bed, "Whoever goes should be prepared to do what needs to be done."
"Is that person you?"
"Hell no." Archer said making a face, "That is at least a full three-year commitment, and it sounds like a whole lot of work, which, while I would do if I could, if I can avoid it I would."
"Still, the three-headed lunatic might be able to do it and have some free time on his hands." Anderson nudged.
"Why are you asking me to take the job?" Archer asked.
"Because if anybody I know could use a bit more freedom and also be responsible enough for this type of long-term job. It would be you Archer." Anderson said.
"I agree. But considering how little Archer works with his other alter ego out on field duty at least, I don't think he'll take it. But I think you should." Zach added his own input.
"Ah right, the mask. Heh. That was a sight to behold." Anderson nodded along remembering Archer's work when in uniform.
"It's a helmet now." Archer corrected.
"You upgraded?"
"Upgraded most of the outfit, it works better now."
"Ah right. I saw you with it in the training rooms." Zach recalled.
"Yeah, haven't used it on a mission yet."
"Who knows, you might be able to use it if you accept this job." Zach mentioned.
"Sure. But doubtful considering I'll probably not be going." Archer said with a shrug.
"Can't convince you to take it?" Anderson asked.
"Who knows?" Archer said as he got up and stretched, "I'm going to walk around a bit. What about you guys?"
"I've got a meeting with the brass actually." Anderson said checking the time on his phone, "What about you Zach?"
"Actually, I think I'm needed elsewhere." He said looking distracted as he opened a window and flew out of it.
"Super senses are convenient aren't they?" Anderson said watching Zach turn into a tiny blip in seconds, "Well I'm out. Enjoy your walk." He said before heading out the door.
I should too I guess. Archer said looking out the opened window. He gently put his book back on his bookshelf before jumping out the window.
***
"Where is he? Where in the world is Archer Griffen?" Mariel asked Sariel as they flew around the city cloaked in a veil of invisibility, "We already looked around the city, we see other heroes but not him yet. Where is he?"
"Uh. I think I found his location." Sariel said looking at a scrying disc she held in her hands.
"Lead us to him then Sariel." Mariel said as they flew in a different direction. The two neared the WDO complex a few minutes later and slowed their flight speed.
"We have to move on foot now. Otherwise we'll risk getting caught." Sariel said.
"Really? Do the humans have that advanced sensors?" Mariel said getting caught off guard.
"If what the reports say are true." Sariel said as the two sneaked into the area and began to search the area.
"Are we not going outside?"
"No, the scry says he's outside. Hmm, strange he should be somewhere right in front of us." Sariel said reading the scry.
"I don't see anyone matching his description. Just one person here and he's just some kid and a gardener." Mariel said.
"Could it be the gardener?"
"Doubtful, he's big enough but looks a bit too old." Mariel said looking at his face, "Oh, he's leaving. Just the kid now. What does the scry say?"
"He should still be in the area." Sariel said looking up at the kid still standing next to the garden.
The boy then bent down and plucked a raspberry from one of the bushes and popped it into his mouth at the same time he spoke aloud, "So. Explain to me why you two are hiding?"
"Huh!?" Sariel gave an audible gasp.