to being ghosts.
Chapter 1 - Ordinary Origins
Chapter Warnings: angst, misogynistic/sexist comments towards fem!reader, mentions of death and executions, incorrect depictions of hacking, a lot of world-building and several OCs are introduced. 7.5k+ words.
A siren blaring in the distance wakens you long before you’d prefer. Holding your eyes closed, you hope you can fall back asleep and dream of the old world. Such hope grows weaker every day, unable to keep your mind from the new horrors plaguing the world... your world.
“The New World Charter has assigned a president-elect,” a robotic voice announces outside.
Covering your head with your pillow, you try to drown out the reminders that life will never be the same, not after the death of Eli Ever and the subsequent dissolution of democracies and dictatorships alike.
With a sad sigh, you stand from your bed in your government-assigned apartment, dressing in your uniform and wondering how things went so terribly so quickly.
✯✯✯✯✯
Miles away from you, Victor Vale leads Mitch Turner and Sydney Clarke into an abandoned house on the outskirts of what used to be the overpopulated city of San Francisco. Today, it’s a ghost town, and Victor Vale (along with thousands of other EOs) is using these places as a refuge.
“How many countries are in the New World now?” Victor asks, watching Mitch pick up an outdated newspaper.
“As of two months ago, nearly half of the UN, 85,” he answers.
“Is that bad?” Sydney asks quietly, holding Dol closer as she awaits an answer.
“It may be,” Mitch answers honestly. “As long as they don’t have a unified leader, we’re better off.”
“And when they do?”
Victor looks out the dirt-stained window as he says, “We’ll know.”
✯✯✯✯✯
Walking into the New World Agency Headquarters, or NWA, you look at each passing agent and wonder what they did to earn their place. From open-minded United States federal recruits to Russian KGB leaders, every person wearing an NWA badge is considered qualified and necessary to the long-term mission. You, however, don’t know what the mission is, and though you feel like a ghost in these halls, the moment you decide whether or not you agree with it solidifies your future.
“Morning, agents,” NWA Director Smoak calls.
“Director,” everyone answers in sync.
“You have been called here because of your exemplary records.” He looks around the room as if analyzing each agent, including you. “Consider yourselves lucky to be the first group of recruits for NWA’s new task force, dedicated to the location and execution of EOs.”
Your breath catches in your throat. You didn’t choose to join the NWA; very few did, but you certainly didn’t agree to kill innocent people.
“We’ll be splitting you into teams. Agents Samuelson, Waller, and Daniels, stay here. The rest of you will find your lead agents outside. Head out and do good, bring the new world into the light!”
Following your partner, whom you have only heard referred to as Daniels, you have innumerable questions you want to ask. The walk to the director isn’t far, but it feels like miles as your stomach churns.
“You’re welcome,” Agent Daniels says, turning his head toward you.
“For what?” His eyes meet yours, and you quickly correct, “Sorry. Thank you, but for what, sir?”
“Getting you assigned to the best task force in the agency.”
You stop, unable to walk upon learning that your partner, the man who has been at your side since training ended three months ago, is willing to kill EOs just because they’re different. Not only that, but he thinks the assignment is something worthy of gratitude. A former U.S. Army sniper, Daniels’ kill count consists of a higher number than most peoples’ IQs.
“Daniels, I want you and your partner out by nightfall. You know your first mission, and upon its completion, you will receive the next. Prove your worth and another ticket may be in your future,” Smoak says, ignoring you as he speaks to your supervising agent.
Once upon a time, you dreamed of being a federal agent, but now that title is a nightmare come to life around you.
“Where are we going, sir?” you ask Daniels.
“Some town called Merit,” he answers, leading you through the back hallway of the NWA building.
“Merit? Where Eli Ever was arrested?”
“Maybe. I don’t tend to keep up with monsters like those people.”
“Those people?”
“EOs. We’ve got a long flight, so maybe pace your questions,” he snaps.
Nodding, you ask yourself how someone can have so little empathy for EOs, simply assuming they’re all like Ever. The Gulfstream plane awaiting you could get hundreds of EOs to safety, you think, before realizing that your mind and your mission are nowhere near aligned.
✯✯✯✯✯
“Problem,” Mitch calls.
Victor turns away from the window, walking to Mitch’s side.
“They have a leader. President-Elect Smoak, also rumored to be leading the New World Agency, the combination of all the government and law enforcement agencies of participating countries.”
“Number?”
Mitch doesn’t answer, turning around to face Victor as he tilts his head to the side.
“All of them?” Victor clarifies.
“Which means the new task force, Task O, has plenty of people to back it up.”
“We have to move.”
“Why?”
“Call it a hunch, a ghost giving me a clue, I don’t know, but we do. So, let’s go!” Victor turns away as he calms to say, “Sydney, time to go.”
“What are we telling her?”
“Not a word more than we have to.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“What is your issue?” Daniels asks.
You look up from the picture in the file, glancing at the clouds below. Even the sky seems sad these days.
“He looks like a kid,” you answer, shrugging. “Just not sure how you keep it so separated, sir.”
“He’s not a kid. Not even an ordinary human, not anymore. That- that change makes them different, and someone needs to do something about it.”
After the news shifted to the existence and creation of EOs, particularly Eli Cardale, you’d scoured the internet to find what made them so special. A rough draft of his work from Lockland University was produced by your effort: a simple, straightforward explanation with a bit too much religious symbolism.
“There was a time not long ago when being ordinary was considered a bad thing,” you hum.
“Not at the cost of our souls, our freedom, and the consistency of human nature.”
Human nature has never been consistent, you want to say. Instead, you nod and look back to the file. Daniels continues watching you, a suspicious narrowing of his eyes the only sign that he is experiencing any emotion.
“Do you have a problem with the mission? Because there’s a nice place for NWA agents who decide they don’t agree with our ideals,” Daniels says. “I hear most people never want to return to their old homes after visiting.”
“As nice as that sounds, sir, I’m fine. Just tired, I think.”
“Then get some sleep. We have an ordinary world to protect.”
Reading the top line of the file one last time, you close it and set it aside, wishing you felt safe enough to sleep. Dreams of a different world are the only relief you’ve found, but even that can only do so much.
✯✯✯✯✯
Mitch’s fingers fly across the keyboard, a few clicks of the trackpad interrupting his consistent typing. He knows better than to hack the New World Charter computers. If he can get into the United States government’s records, he may be able to find a thread worthy of tugging.
The screen goes black before an out-of-use desktop loads. Smirking at his success, Mitch navigates to the most recent records. It takes a few minutes, but he finds evidence of a conversation with someone named Smoak. He assumes it is the same Smoak now running the entire world, and the few ideas expressed in the months-old exchange concern him.
Noticing the presence of another user in the system, Mitch freezes his screen, disappearing into the shadows of the servers.
‘hey,’ someone types, ‘we’ve met before. they’re killing EOs, just thought you should know.’
The text box disappears before a small file opens: a single page titled “Task O” lists three teams, one under Smoak’s leadership and the team members. As concerning as it should be, Mitch’s attention is caught on the task motto: “For an ordinary world, no matter the cost.”
He knows he should tell Victor, but something makes him pause. Saving the file to his own computer, Mitch erases any sign of himself and his unknown partner before closing the laptop. Smoak has three teams under his direction: Samuelson, Waller, and Daniels, plus their partners. Seven people answering to one leader, who wants EOs dead as far as Mitch can tell, does not seem like a good thing. Though he knows Smoak’s name, one other name stays on his mind after closing the computer.
✯✯✯✯✯
When the plane lands, Daniels offers to split up and cover more ground, and you immediately agree. If you can find the young EO before Daniels, maybe you can help somehow. Daniels will eliminate him without a word or thought, but there has to be another way.
After a few minutes, you realize that Daniels is following you. He’s keeping his distance, but you must lose him and convince him to trust you for a few minutes before continuing.
“When you find him, radio immediately,” Daniels says in your earpiece.
“Yes, sir.”
After walking around the same city block twice, letting yourself look incompetent, Daniels sighs and breaks away. Picking up where you left off, you navigate the darkest alleys alone. Though you should probably be concerned for your safety, the EOs need your concern and protection more than you do. Daniels has already threatened to make you disappear, but your fate is still in your hands.
“Excuse me,” you call. The man turns around, his eyes wide and wild as he does. “I’m here to help you but I need you to trust me. Someone is trying to hurt you.”
“This is about that other guy that got killed in Miami, ain’t it?” he asks. “All the EOs are talkin’ about it. Like the police think we’re all bad because that Eli guy killed someone. EON was bad enough, but we didn’t think it would get worse after they went away.”
You raise your hand as you attempt to calm him and ease his nerves. “I know. When EON went away, I hoped it would get better for you guys, but there are always going to be people who are scared of new things, different things.”
“Then what’s the point of fighting?” he whispers.
“Because if you don’t, you’re proving them right. Let me help you, and maybe someday, you and the other EOs that I help will be able to make a difference and show the people that they don’t need to be afraid of you.”
Your shirt rides up slightly, exposing your NWA badge. He sees it, staring at it as he takes a step back.
“Hey, hey, look at me. They want me to do something that I’m not going to do, do you understand that? I wear the badge because I have to, but it doesn’t control me. They don’t control me, and you don’t have to let them control you either,” you explain.
He stops, nodding slowly. “What do you want me to do?”
“There’s a little town about ten miles from here. It used to be-“
“The train depot, yeah, I know it,” he interrupts.
“Go that way and wait for me. If I’m not there by sunset to give you more instructions, leave before dark and get to the depot.”
“Why? Why help us?”
“Because what they’re doing is wrong. You deserve a chance.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
You finally smile, and he mirrors it as you say, “Then I’ll change my mind.”
✯✯✯✯✯
Victor’s pale eyes are on Mitch. He fights the urge to squirm at his undivided attention.
“Can I help you?” Mitch asks finally.
“You tell me.”
Mitch glances over at Sydney before saying, “No.”
“Are we leaving again soon? Because I’m really tired,” Sydney asks, lying on the dilapidated couch with Dol under her arm.
“Not for a while. That’s the plan for now, at least, so get some rest,” Victor answers, demanding yet concerned.
“Still can’t help,” Mitch mutters as he walks by Victor.
✯✯✯✯✯
“Suspect down,” you radio, looking around the scene you’ve set up.
Standing on the rooftop, you’re impressed by the view. As the sun sets, mirroring a bloody smear across the sky, you imagine this is how Frodo felt on his journey to Mordor, just with more people to talk to. Below you, you’ve arranged pallets and red paint to look like someone fell off the roof. Your plan isn’t great, and it’s entirely dependent on Daniels believing it from the roof, but it’s all you can do for now. Either way, you gained a few more hours for the target to get to safety.
“I told you to radio when you found him, not after you took him out,” Daniels chides roughly behind you.
“I was going to, but he panicked and fell back when he saw the badge, sir,” you answer, keeping your eyes on the ground below.
Daniels walks to your side, surveying the damage in the alley below. His eyes darken momentarily before he nods.
“Back with the trash where he belongs,” he mutters. “I’ll call Smoak and get our next assignment. Meet you at the plane.”
As he turns around, you ask, “Should we do something with the body?”
“Leave it there. It’ll serve as a warning.”
Closing your eyes, you bite back your anger before you get in trouble. The new government doesn’t care about these people; they only notice EOs because they are afraid. Someone has to show them that EOs aren’t monsters to be feared, though you’re not sure if they’re allies. Regardless, you can’t prove anything without help, so you need to save enough of them to start a revolution.
Taking a deep breath, you hope the future is heading north.
✯✯✯✯✯
Your phone rings as you near the plane. Raising a hand to Daniels, you stop and answer it.
“Hello,” you greet.
“Hey. It’s Barton, do you have a minute?” your classmate from the police academy asks.
“Of course. Where are you these days?”
“NWA analytics. They- they want me to do something that I don’t agree with, and I feel stuck. If I don’t do it, something terrible will happen to me, right?”
“Barton, don’t,” you whisper harshly. “Do not do something stupid.”
“I’m not running.”
“Don’t do something else, then.”
“Too late,” he mutters. “But they won’t know about you.”
You flinch and drop your phone away when a gunshot echoes through the speaker. Ending the call, you breathe heavily as you wonder what he did. His promise that they won’t know about you makes you confident that whatever it is will make an impact.
Leveling your expression, you walk to the plane and stand beside Daniels. He types quickly, his complete focus on his phone.
“Everything okay, sir?” you ask quietly.
“No,” he answers. “New World Charter is- our leaders are in trouble.”
“How so?”
“Some- some complete idiot at NWA released a list of names.”
“Oh.”
Daniels looks up suddenly, his eyes dark and angry as he glares at you. “’Oh’? That’s all you have to say. Do you know what this means, agent? Every single person working with the New World Charter’s identity, their pictures, addresses, it’s all out there for anyone to see.”
“Well, they’re working for good, so no one should have a problem or try to do anything. Right, sir?” you ask, hoping everyone can see their true intentions and someone decides to do something about it.
“You really have no clue how governments work, do you? No matter how good they are, there will be people who try to hurt them.”
You press your lips together and nod. Daniels shakes his head, looking back at his phone when it buzzes again.
“Great,” he mumbles. “Now NWA.”
“What about it, sir?”
“List of names,” he grumbles.
“Our leaders?”
His eyes scan the screen, scrolling quickly. He releases a small sigh before putting his phone in his pocket.
“Good news?” you pry.
“My name isn’t on the list. Well, it is, but just my last name; listed as your superior.”
“Mine?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s all there. Full name, picture, address, contact information,” he lists off before smiling at you. “Better prove your worth or no one will care what you go home to.”
Daniels turns and boards the plane, yelling for you to follow. You swallow, hoping that having your name and picture made public won’t ruin your chances of helping the next EO.
✯✯✯✯✯
Mitch shakes his head, wondering how a police recruit was assigned to one of the most dangerous task forces in the New World. When he hears Victor approaching, he closes the window and moves away from his laptop.
“It’s getting worse,” he tells Victor.
“Shocking,” Victor mumbles sarcastically.
“Vic, we need to do something other than run. Surely there has to be another option.”
“Like what? Making a stand with a guy who can control pain, a hacker, and a kid who can raise the dead? We have no chance alone, Mitch.”
“Then why are you so opposed to help?”
“Because we aren’t normal people, Mitch. We have no home, no help, and no chance of being noticed without dire consequences. We’re ghosts.”
“You defeated Eli, and then EON. Why is this different?”
“Because this is EON multiplied by a million. And, technically, I didn’t defeat Eli, I just got him out of the way long enough to keep going.”
“If we’re ghosts,” Mitch says slowly, “then there’s still a chance.”
“Three versus the world government is not a fair fight, and one I refuse to pull you or Sydney into.”
“What if we had more help? A Good Samaritan willing to gather EO troops?”
Victor rolls his eyes. “Even if that was a possibility, it will never work. NWA doesn’t recruit Good Samaritans, or at least trains it out of them.”
Mitch doesn’t respond, which leads Victor to return to his side. “You know something.”
“I know lots of things.”
“Mitch,” Victor warns.
“I do, but it’s not important yet. Not pertinent, even.”
“Then tell me.”
“No. If I’m wrong, we don’t need that kind of negative impact.”
“Mitch, if it doesn’t matter, why do you keep bringing it up?” Victor demands.
“Because something is changing!” Mitch replies, raising his voice as he stands. “Can’t you tell that?”
“I can,” Sydney says quietly, standing in the doorway behind them. “There’s more, more life or something. It’s not quite as bad as it was.”
“That doesn’t mean there’s a powerful savior that makes this all go away; we are still in danger of being killed,” Victor argues. “I know it’s not what we want to admit, but it’s the truth – this ends with death for us. Especially if we rush into this fight without stopping to think for a minute. This isn’t beating Eli, not revenge, it is life or death.”
“Not just for us,” Mitch interjects. “Task O, as in O for ordinary, is killing EOs. But I think an agent, or someone else, is helping them. That’s why Sydney can sense more life than there ‘should’ be.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that because of one good NWA agent, there’s a bunch of ghosts?”
“Basically.”
Victor rakes his fingers through his pale hair as he thinks.
“You said it would take more than three ghosts,” Mitch reminds him gently. “If we can find a whole race of ghosts? EO ghosts, at that, and the NWA, the New World Charter doesn’t stand a chance.”
“What else are you keeping from me?” Victor asks.
“Chocolate milk,” Sydney whispers, a smile appearing when Mitch laughs. Each day her smile becomes a little rarer. That alone makes Victor want to fight, even though he’ll never admit it.
“A name,” Mitch answers. “And I’m still going to hold onto it. Until I’m sure.”
“You really think this will work?”
“I do. But not without you on board and willing to trust me.”
“I trust you, Mitch, I do. It’s them I don’t trust.”
“Give it some time. And we need to stay here.”
“It’s been days already; someone will be able to find us if they look hard enough.”
“Exactly,” Mitch says with a smile.
✯✯✯✯✯
You return to NWA Headquarters before receiving your next target. Every agent is recalled upon Barton’s sudden betrayal and execution. Sitting at the back of the crowded room, you hope more EOs have caught word of the ambush and found a safe hiding place. Finding them will be difficult, but the future lies in the hands of the superpowered people your neighbors are hunting.
Your mission, however, is to find the unfindable and get them to a safe place before gathering them for a revolution. Your future, and theirs, of course, has far too many variables. But, you will give everything you have, including your life, to bring peace and remind ordinary people that ExtraOrdinaries aren’t so different.
“Why can’t we just train them?” someone asks. “If EOs are dangerous now, then we can show them another way. Maybe they’re just as lost and surprised as we are. Thousands of experts are at your disposal, able to teach EOs how their powers work and maybe even gain an ally.”
You agree entirely, wishing you had the strength to stand up and voice your opinion, too. When the agent is cut off in the middle of a sentence, you’re glad you waited. NWA is not fond of its agents speaking out of turn, especially when what they say is morally right.
“Any other comments?” Smoak asks, practically daring someone else to speak. “Well then, let’s get this meeting underway.”
“Wait! My partner never showed up and I’m worried,” an agent explains, standing as they speak.
“Yes,” Smoak says, glancing at the paper before him. “Your partner has decided to take a less active role in our Canada region.”
Sighing, you wish you could comfort the agent. ‘The Canada region’ is the codeword NWA officials use for the same place Daniels threatened to send you. It’s a place for exiled and disgraced agents who are never heard from or seen again. You’re sure it’s a type of black site, not simply a prison compound, so you feel empathetic towards the exiled and their partner.
“Focus,” Daniels whispers, tapping you with his elbow. “We’re next.”
“Task O has made excellent progress in the early stages of the program. There is much work to be done ahead of us, and as the days progress, we will add manpower and more teams to this task force. We are aware of the security breach, and it has been dealt with internally, but the information is still out there for the public to view. Our analysis and cyber teams are working to scrub as much of this from global internet servers as possible, but we will be providing temporary housing and other aid as needed. NWA is not just an agency, we are here for you, so do not hesitate to reach out as needed.”
You shake your head, wondering how long they’ll be able to keep up the lies that they’re doing good and here for the people. The idea that Smoak cares about the agents who were exposed is laughable; your memory of hearing Barton’s execution keeps you from exposing your hand too early.
“One team, however, has made a big impact on us here at NWA. Supervising Agent Daniels and his team were the first to complete their initial mission.”
Supervising Agent Daniels and his team… as far as Daniels knows, you completed the mission. Yet, in typical government fashion, the man with seniority gets the credit. Not that you care; you are trying to stay below the radar and make yourself invisible as often as possible. Although, if this were your choice career, you’d be indignant.
“They have both our gratitude and admiration for such effectiveness in the field. For that reason, they will be receiving two assignments moving forward.”
There’s a small round of applause, and Director Smoak nods at Daniels before moving on to the next item on the docket.
“Port operations have resumed in major cities such as Los Angeles, Singapore, and Colón…”
You tune him out, your mind split between wondering what that nod was about and planning where you can send every EO to wait. Waiting will undoubtedly be the worst part of taking the world back from the dictators and murderers currently in charge, so a slow and steady approach is essential.
“You are dismissed,” Smoak nearly yells, pulling you from your planning.
“He wants to meet us about our new targets before we leave again,” Daniels fills you in, leaving you as he walks to the crowd of male leaders at the front of the room.
“Don’t know how you have the patience to work with a woman,” one of them jokes.
Daniels looks at you before reluctantly admitting, “She was vital to our success.”
It’s not an acknowledgment of the truth or your worth, but you play your role and smile at the men, unwilling to get angry or prove them right in any way. You will give Daniels all the praise and credit he wants to keep this assignment. One day, one person may know what you did or tried to do, and that is all you can ask for.
“Daniels,” Director Smoak greets, clapping his back. “You are our best, that’s for sure. Which is why I’m giving you and your partner here a new target. And I’m giving you our current most wanted EO. I don’t expect him to be easy to find, so I want you to blow through these other monsters while you’re hunting him. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Smoak glances toward you, and you nod, giving him a respectful smile.
“I like this one. You work well together.”
“We do,” Daniels agrees. “And that’s certainly not a problem. We’ll keep knocking them down while we make our way to the top.”
“Exactly what I wanted to hear. Meet me in my office and we’ll discuss our most wanted.”
As you walk through the private hallways, off limits to agents such as yourself, you cross your fingers that you can find a well-known EO and get him on board with your plan. Another name, another pair of hands, anything will help. As long as they’re alright with being invisible.
✯✯✯✯✯
Victor drags a marker across a page, the odd domesticity of the situation making him anxious. Sydney returns from a quick walk with Dol, smiling again as she falls onto the couch beside Victor. Mitch is reading something on his computer, not unaware of how they’re all acting like they’re at home. He chuckles at the thought of the three of them sharing a home forever, and Sydney immediately asks what’s so funny.
“Nothing, just picturing how terrible Victor would be as a permanent roommate,” he answers.
Sydney joins his laughter as Victor pauses his editing.
“I wouldn’t be that bad,” he argues.
“Your last roommate is dead,” Sydney points out.
“Who killed him?” Victor challenges.
“Calm down,” Mitch says, feeling more like an overworked dad than ever. “And don’t get too comfortable, this isn’t the new normal, just a- just a break.”
“So, we’re setting a trap, luring someone into finding us?” Sydney clarifies, welcoming Dol onto the couch between her and Victor.
“More or less, yes.”
“Seems like more of a trap for us. Like a mouse sitting in a cage to catch a cat.”
Victor looks over at her, his brows raised as he nods. “Didn’t know you could make sense like that.”
“Says the cryptic old guy.”
Mitch sighs, and Victor returns his attention to the book in his lap, hiding how pleased he is to see Sydney acting like herself again.
“What happens after?” Sydney asks. “We get killed?”
“No,” Mitch and Victor answer together.
“I don’t know for sure what happens, Syd. This isn’t the same world we started in, and I can’t guarantee much past your safety, but I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Or yourself,” Sydney demands, not a question but a statement.
Victor nods, aware that he’s lying, and that Sydney knows it too.
✯✯✯✯✯
“Like many of our smaller units, we have a most wanted list for EOs,” Director Smoak explains as you and Daniels sit across from him. “Currently, there are ten EOs worthy of special attention. We don’t have pictures for several of them, but we have names and ideas of what their powers are. These people are dangerous, not just criminals to slap handcuffs on. There’s no training to prepare you for this mission, but you’ve proven yourselves trustworthy and competent.”
“Thank you, sir, it’s our honor to take this on,” Daniels responds.
Smoak slides two file folders across the desk before folding his hands in front of his chest. You open yours as Daniels takes his.
“Our most wanted.”
“Victor Vale,” you read. “What makes him so important, sir?”
“He is responsible for the death of Eli Ever, and the fall of EON. Not immortal or invincible, but he is hard to injure and harder to capture. The few agents who have had contact with him, or something close to it, have experienced excruciating pain and only one fully recovered.”
“His power is an ability to control pain,” Daniels deduces.
“Sorry, sir, but what do you mean by ‘something close to’ contact with him?” you interject.
“You don’t have to see him, even be all that close to him to be affected,” Smoak answers. “If he can see you, he can kill you.”
Nodding, you can’t help but imagine him dropping Daniels and removing perhaps your biggest obstacle. It is no wonder someone so powerful has maintained his freedom for so long.
“Two known associates? That’s a bit strange for EOs,” Daniels adds.
“It is. They tend to move and work alone, but this one has been seen with another man as well as a young girl,” Smoak reads.
“A young girl? Why?”
“We have reason to believe she is one of the EOs Eli Ever was searching for. There’s something special about this one, but we can’t be sure what without getting close. With Victor Vale at her side, that’s nearly impossible.”
“Is she considered dangerous?” you ask.
“Everyone with any association to Victor Vale is considered highly dangerous, especially if they are a suspected EO, as the girl is. While you hunt them, do not let your guard down for even a moment. Dangerous fights are unavoidable, but your safety is a possibility as long as you work together and use caution and logic.”
“You can count on us,” Daniels says.
You nod your agreement, your mind too caught on Smoak’s phrasing to reply. He considers this a hunt, not a search for a criminal. It fits, though, more like a hunt for sport as you track someone with the only intention of killing them. Or that’s what you would do if you weren’t a traitor.
“One more thing,” Smoak says, looking at you for once. “We have plenty of evidence that Eli was able to manipulate people very easily, especially women. Victor may have similar charm, but you need to keep your wits and the mission in mind, okay?”
You blink rapidly at his blatant sexism. “Yes, sir. I know that any interaction with Vale is simply to eliminate him.”
Smoak nods, dismissing you before speaking to Daniels. He doesn’t wait until the door closes and you hear, “Keep an eye on her, she’s good, but empathy has no place in this.”
You agree entirely as you desperately seek a way out of this fight, to finish it, and move on into a world where empathy is once again common and accepted.
✯✯✯✯✯
With the file nearly memorized, you stare at the ‘No Image on File’ block where Victor Vale’s picture should be. When you imagine meeting him, you see three possibilities: he reluctantly trusts you to join your treacherous plan, he doesn’t trust you and ignores you as he leaves, or he recognizes you as an NWA agent and kills you without question. Any choice has pros and cons, including the third, which removes you from the fight but reveals Victor’s path. If, miraculously, Victor chooses the first option, the New World Charter won’t know what hit them.
“What are you thinking about? If you’re worried about the charm statement, just force yourself to remember his known body count is nearing a hundred,” Daniels offers.
“No, sir, I wasn’t thinking about that. I was just wondering how he got his powers; pain can be an emotional experience sometimes, so it’s just an interesting idea.”
Daniels hums before arguing, “It doesn’t matter. He’ll be dead by the time we get to him anyway, so his second death will make a much bigger impact.”
You run your finger under the line about the young girl. If she’s present, you know you will do anything to keep her safe. After your own childhood and working with troubled youth early in your career, you have a soft spot for kids.
“We’re going after a water bender first,” Daniels says. “We’ve got his location and I’m exhausted, so I’m going to sleep until we land. Feel free to get started on tracking our ticket.”
The NWA equivalent of a golden ticket, or an assigning of your choice, a ticket is only achievable by apprehending or eliminating a top-tier EO or criminal. Since NWA was founded several months ago, only two tickets have been given: one for catching a serial killer and another for apprehending the last surviving captive of EON.
Uninterested in a ticket, you begin researching, hoping to find something that will help you before it helps Daniels. Your hands hover over the keyboard as you wonder where to start. The list of names that Barton leaked, you realize, wasn’t just a moral decision but a head start. Finding his already deleted account, you begin working backward until you find the original posting. With each step, each download and movement of the document, you get a bit more discouraged.
One record, however, was nearly wiped: a download from a U.S. government database. You track it, surprised to find a 30-second interaction between users, just sharing the file and sending a now scrubbed-away message. Assuming it’s somehow related to Victor, you track it as far as possible. There’s no IP address or location, but you get a region: somewhere outside San Francisco with no secure internet. Whoever hacked the database was very good, so you must work quickly and effectively before they realize someone is on their computer.
It's a long shot, but you manipulate the document and post it in a private forum, dropping a link to the two computers you can find. The first one bounces back, but the second seems to deliver. And now you have to wait.
✯✯✯✯✯
“EO down,” Daniels alerts.
You stop in the alley, pressing your hand against the brick wall as you lean forward. Your stomach flips with anxiety and sadness.
“Copy,” you radio.
A rogue tear breaks past your waterline. Wiping it away quickly, you kick a box before you, wondering how you failed to find this one.
Daniels says your last name, his voice eerily even.
“Find anything else? This guy implied there was another one around here.”
“His accomplice, Rock?”
“Presumably. All we know about Rock is he has geo-powers. Just keep an eye out, we’ll keep patrolling for a bit.”
“Copy that, sir. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Turning, you decide to go back the way you came. As you near the sight of the execution, the ground rumbles beneath you. You stow your badge in your back pocket, out of sight.
“Rock?” you ask quietly, introducing yourself. “I want to help. I’m sorry about your friend.”
“Help? No one can help. You should let him take me, too.”
“I’m not going to do that, Rock. Can you come out and talk to me? There’s still hope.”
“No, there’s not. You let me walk today, and tomorrow someone else comes along, gets scared, and I end up in the same position. I’m tired.”
The ground shakes harder this time, and you grasp the wall beside you.
“Rock, I’ve been helping EOs for a few days, and I’m trying to get more of you to help me fight NWA.”
Rock chuckles sadly. “NWA will always win. You should know, since they’re beating you, too.”
“Just for now. I’m doing what I have to for now, and then they will be history. But I need your help, Rock.”
“I need it more,” he says before the ground tilts beneath you.
Struggling to stand, you slip forward and tumble down the hill you stand on. A man sits at the bottom, and you move toward him slowly.
“Rock,” you say gently.
“It’s over.”
You look past him and see the hills moving, rocks rolling quickly toward the city.
“Rock don’t do this. These people don’t deserve this.”
“Neither do we.”
“Then come with me and help me show them. Killing these people won’t change anything; it will just make them think that you are the monster they believe you to be,” you explain, your voice rising passionately.
“Maybe we are.”
“We’re not!” you yell.
“We?” Rock whispers.
You can’t take it back, and you can’t admit that you misspoke, so you nod. “Don’t let them see us the way they want to.”
The ground stills, the rocks slowing to a stop as the ground levels out.
“What are you planning to do?” he asks.
“Gather EOs, get them to safety, and then when we can group together and make a plan that lets us work together, we take the fight to them. The New World Charter is telling people that EOs are monsters.”
“Won’t fighting them be proving them right, too?”
“Not the way I’m planning,” you answer with a small smile. “But sometimes it takes a little evil to fight for good.”
Rock nods, standing from a tree stump. “Tell me where to go.”
“West. There’s an abandoned train depot. It’s pretty far from here, but it was huge in its day. That’s where I sent the last three EOs.”
Rock nods and takes a step past you before you stop him.
“I can’t guarantee that they’re there,” you admit. “I can’t guarantee your safety after I leave, either. My plan is built on hope and nothing more.”
“We all died before this started. If there’s anything we can trust in, it’s hope,” Rock promises.
“Just- just be careful, Rock.”
He pats your arm, the ground rumbling beneath you.
“You, too. I think you’re in for a lot more trouble than we are.”
As he runs over the hill and out of sight, you let the faint shaking of the ground soothe you. He’s right, you’re in more danger than you care to think about. Now, though, you need to stage another execution.
“You got him?” Daniels asks. Confused, you don’t answer, so Daniels says your name.
“Yes, sir?”
“The ground is still; did you get him?”
“Oh, yes, sir. Sorry, he was strong.”
“Well done. Two in one. Meet me back at the plane.”
Daniels’ apparent trust in you gives you more hope that you are making progress. It also temporarily blinds you, and you don’t notice someone watching you in the shadows. You look at the tree stump beside you and step over it on your way back to the plane.
✯✯✯✯✯
Mitch’s brow furrows as he notices a changed name. The NWA’s list of names has been renamed, so Mitch opens it.
The motto at the bottom has been added to, For an ordinary world, no matter the cost. now says For a world that accepts the unordinary, no matter the cost.
Your name is highlighted, and Mitch smiles as he realizes he was drawn to your information for a reason. He types a quick, nearly unnoticeable change before saving it. A simple letter added, and a change of address to your contact information, which Mitch trusts will be enough to draw you in. The trap has been set, and he hopes they’re the cat in Sydney’s analogy, luring a mouse inside and not the other way around.
✯✯✯✯✯
Your name has been altered, your first and last now surrounding the middle initial V. For Victor, you presume. Your address lists a different city, and you finally know where you’re going.
“Daniels, I think I found a lead. Someone hacked into an old police database and downloaded some files. The computer was in a smaller town outside of San Francisco, sir,” you tell him.
He looks over your shoulder at the computer, and you’re grateful that you took the time to create some faux tracking records. Nodding, Daniels moves to sit across from you as he opens Victor’s file.
“One of the ones that was evacuated?” he asks.
“Yes, sir. During one of the first riots from what I can tell.”
During the dissolution of the United States and its integration into the New World Charter, there were riots in several big cities. They became overwhelmingly violent, and biological weapons were used, or at least threatened to be used in numerous cities, including San Francisco. When it reached this level, many of the residents in the cities and surrounding areas evacuated. Now, ghost towns litter the U.S., acting as the perfect hiding spot for people who don’t want to be found: for ghosts.
“Our next target is on the way to San Francisco; think we have time for a quick stop? Or will they move quickly?”
“I think we have time, sir. The IP location hasn’t changed since the download; maybe that data leak made them think we’d stop searching.”
“Let’s hope. It’d be nice to see that document used for some good.”
If you trusted Daniel a bit more, you’d think he was concerned for the well-being of the people on the list, but he only cares about himself and getting a ticket.
“That would be nice, sir.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“Promise not to get mad,” Mitch begins.
“What about me makes you think that’s something I would do?” Victor replies.
“Vic.”
“Fine. What’ve you got?”
“Our Good Samaritan. NWA Agent.”
“No.”
“Hear me out,” Mitch begs. Victor sighs, so Mitch smiles and continues. “She got into my computer; we’ve gone back and forth a few times, and she’s probably on her way.”
“You told her where we are?” Victor asks incredulously. “We don’t know anything about these people, except that they want to kill us!”
“She changed the motto, Vic, she’s on our side.”
“Oh, right, because liars and cheaters working for the New World Charter would never change a motto to learn where I am.”
“Guys?” Sydney asks, holding her arm over her chest. “It happened again.”
“Another life?” Victor asks, his voice softer.
Sydney nods. “I think I know what is causing it: a lot of people think someone is dead, but they’re not. Or something like that.”
Mitch looks at Victor to hypothesize, “As if someone was pretending to kill EOs, and telling their superiors they did their job. Which would affect the one person who can sense life and bring it back.”
Victor shows no emotion as he begins pacing, thinking about everything he’s learned in the last few weeks and now, minutes.
“Do you really trust her?” Sydney asks, moving to stand by Mitch.
“I do. I never would have told her where you were if I didn’t.”
“He doesn’t trust her.”
“No, I don’t,” Victor interrupts. “But I’m willing to meet her. Alone. If, somehow, she convinces me she is trustworthy, I will give her a chance to explain herself.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
Victor nods, acknowledging that he still vows to hurt people before they can hurt Sydney. His safety, his fate, is not the only thing reliant on his decisions, which is why he makes them so methodically.
✯✯✯✯✯
“I found her, Daniels,” you radio.
Someone is standing behind you, and you tense as you turn to face them. Looking around, you’re surprised that no one is there. You still feel eyes on you, but you ignore it and focus on Daniels’s reply.
“Where are you?”
“Second alley west of Main.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
Daniels enters the alley from the east, which surprises you. He passes you while you look at the alley entrance, wondering where he came from.
“Alright. Let’s go get a ticket, then,” Daniels says.
“That’s it, sir?”
“You did your job, didn’t you?”
Daniels sounds strange, something you can’t place in his expression and his words.
“Yes, sir.”
He shrugs and gestures for you to follow him. “Then we can go.”
Doubt, you realize. He’s doubting you for some reason. Assuming that it’s because you are risking his ticket if you are wrong, you follow him wordlessly.
“I think that I should go in alone to get Vale,” Daniels tells you as the plane door closes.
“Sir?”
“I’m the supervising and senior agent, and I don’t feel right about leading you into a death trap like that.”
“Oh. Yes, sir, I understand.”
Daniels smiles as he adds, “And Vale is mine.”
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Top 12 Highest Paying Jobs in Australia
With wages failing to keep up with inflation and cost of living pressures intensifying, many Australians are on the hunt for higher paid work. While record numbers are turning to side hustles, others are jumping ship to new organisations or even industries for more lucrative remuneration.
Unlike in the United States, the ‘Great Resignation’ did not eventuate in Australia, however one in three workers aged between 25 and 55 are currently considering quitting their jobs. This is not necessarily due to the desire for higher pay—it could also include burnout, lack of career progression or dissatisfaction with management. However, pay and wellbeing are consistently ranked as the two most important things to employees. With that in mind, here are some of the most lucrative professions in Australia. The below data is provided by Hays Recruitment, and is based on their annual pay guide, which was released on June 1.
Forbes Advisor has created a separate list for medical professionals, as these are highly specialised careers and offer a range of roles that pay well above average salaries. Please note that salaries may vary according to a number of factors, such as the state you live in or if you live in an urban or rural area, your specific qualifications and the length of time you’ve been employed with a particular company or in a specific role.
The Highest Paying Jobs in Australia in 2023
Legal: Equity Partner (up to $850,000)It takes considerable time and dedication to become an equity partner in a law firm but the pay, once you get there, is considerable. Equity partners in top private practices in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney report average salaries of more than $500,000, with Sydney topping the list at $850,000 plus.
Meanwhile, a general counsel typically earns between $250,000 and $400,000.
Executive: CEO and MD ($700,000)
If you’re a CEO or managing director at a company with a turnover between $50 million and $500 million, the typical income is $600,000 but can reach up to $700,000.
Similarly, for chief operating officers and executive general managers, incomes are typically around $500,000 but can also hit $600,000. Chief financial officers and finance directors in the same organisations typically earn around $450,000 but can also reach $600,000.
Hays notes that CEOs need to be top performers across a range of areas, including organisational strategy, organisational alignment, external stakeholder relations and board engagement.
Retail: General Manager (up to $510,000)
Salaries in retail run the gamut, ranging from $153,000 to $408,000 for head office retail directors to $408,000 for merchandise managers and between $204,000 and $510,000 for general managers.
Other high-paying retail jobs include group planning managers or directors ($160,000 to $300,000), national operations managers ($153,000 to $306,000), heads of design or creative directors ($140,000 to $255,000), and buying managers ($150,000 to $204,000). E-Commerce managers have also risen in prominence in recent years, with the highest reported salaries reaching above $200,000.
Accountancy & Finance: Head of Treasury ($410,000)
Heads of treasury have some of the top paying jobs in Australia in the realm of accounting and finance, with the average pay for a head of treasury in Sydney coming in at $410,000.
Meanwhile, head of tax, head of risk and head of internal audit can earn up to $400,000, while group financial controllers typically earn around $280,000 in organisations with turnover exceeding $300 million.
Various heads of internal audit can command $300,000, senior commercial managers or directors are typically on $270,000, while the heads of risk can attract $300,000. In professional practice, corporate finance principals or directors are on $220,00, insolvency principals or directors take home $200,000 a year and tax consulting principals or directors are paid $180,000.
Property: Development Director (up to $388,000)
As Hays notes, jobs with the highest salary in Australia’s property sector today include development directors, who can earn an average salary of between $224,000 and $388,000 in Sydney—although Brisbane development directors have the highest typical salary at a healthy $306,000. Meanwhile, development managers can expect an average salary of between $133,000 and $255,000, and $179,000 and $245,000 for client-side project directors.
Energy: Project Delivery Director (up to $357,000)
Project development directors in renewable energy are among the highest paid in the sector, with the top earners in Sydney ($224,000 to $350,000) and Melbourne ($260,000 to $357,000). Development directors need to draw on their ‘soft skills’ in order to succeed, taking a collaborative approach to stakeholder relations and a strategic approach to big projects, Hays notes.
Construction managers in renewables can earn between $153,000 and $230,000, while grid connections managers are paid between $173,000 and $250,000.
Construction: Construction Manager (up to $320,000)
The construction sector has been facing some supply challenges of late, but there remain many in-demand and high paying roles. Construction managers are the highest paid at between $250,000 and $320,000, while project managers take home $160,000 to $250,000. Senior estimators earn $120,000 to $200,000, while site managers and design managers are on between $150,000 and $220,000 and $180,000 and $240,000 respectively.
In civil construction, construction managers can receive a typical salary of between $180,000 and $280,000 while project managers earn between $160,000 and $210,000. In residential construction, a construction manager can earn a typical salary of between $160,000 and $220,000.
Sustainability: Head of sustainability (up to $310,000)
Demand for experienced sustainability professionals continues to rise, with heads of sustainability or ESG earning up $310,000 in Western Australia. Meanwhile, sustainability managers are on roughly $230,00.
Technology: CIO and CTO ($306,000)
Hays notes that tech salaries traditionally run on two tracks: pay brackets that increase steadily over time and those that spike exponentially. While there are many roles in tech that command average salaries between $150,000 to $200,000, managers earn considerably more than this. The typical salary earners in leadership positions are based in Sydney and include chief information security officers ($255,000), chief information officers and chief technology officers (both on $306,000).
Meanwhile, project directors earn $260,000, program managers are on $210,000 and enterprise architects command $230,000 in projects and change management.
Marketing & Digital: Executive Director of Communications ($300,000)
Executive directors of communications in PR and communications have huge earning potential, and in Sydney can expect a typical salary of $300,000. Similarly, Sydney-based marketing directors can expect to earn an average salary of $220,000, while directors of communications earn $215,000. Bid managers are on $180,000, PR directors command $180,000 and sponsorship/fundraising directors pull in $175,000.
Human Resources: Head of HR/HR Director ($300K)
Demand for skilled and experienced HR professionals has grown in recent years, with heads of HR or HR directors in organisations with more than 1,000 employees typically earning around $300,000 in Sydney, $280,000 in Melbourne and $250,000 in Perth.
Average annual typical salaries are also high for heads of learning and development, coming in at $224,000.
Banking: State Manager ($300,000)
The banking sectors continues to offer competitive salaries, with state managers typically earn $300,000. Meanwhile, in business and commercial lending and corporate and institutional lending, executive managers and heads of departments (think financial planning, credit, market and operational risk, compliance, anti-money laundering and regulatory risk), can attract salaries above $200,000.
The Highest Paying Jobs in Medicine
The incomes below are a guide only, but offer some insight into what top medical professionals can command.
Surgeon – $406,068
Surgeons make an average of $406,068 a year and report high levels of job satisfaction as well, according to Hays.
Anaesthetist – $388,814
Anaesthetists, like surgeons, have a hugely important role and make an average of $388,814 a year and there are only approximately 3500 of them in Australia, according to the ATO.
Internal medicine specialist – $310,848
Internal medicine specialists comprise specialist physicians, cardiologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and paediatricians. They earn an average of $310,848 per year.
Psychiatrist – $252,691
Psychiatrists earn an average of $252,691 per year. The current shortage of psychiatrists has been flagged by the federal government as a concern by 2030 unless an intervention is made – and in the meantime it will only drive salaries higher.
What Are The Highest Paying Jobs In Australia That Don’t Require A Degree?
Of course, the top professions we have just listed all require extensive university training and qualifications.
The three highest paying jobs that do not require a university degree are ICT managers; chemical, gas, petroleum and power generation
plant operators; and ICT sales professionals, according to the Monarch Institute.
Information and communications technology: $170,955Chemical, gas, petroleum and power generation plant operators: $168,376
ICT sales professionals: $157,123. This includes specialist roles such as account manager and sales representative.
Average Australian Salaries in 2023
The median full-time worker in Australia earned $78,800 in 2022, while the median part-timer took home $32,400 last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). When both types of employees are combined, the median salary is $65,000. That is to say, half of all employees in Australia earned more than this, and half earned less.
A taxable income that was $131,501 or higher was within the top 10% of earners in Australia last year. About 5% of taxpayers had incomes above $180,000. Someone who earned more than $253,066 was in the top 1%.
When discussing the ‘typical’ wage, averages are less representative than medians, because there are a handful of very high earners who skew the results by earning millions or even billions of dollars.
A middle-income household typically comprises a couple with children living off one full time job of around $85,000 and a part-time job of around $30,000 per year. This middle 20% has a combined weekly income of $1,884 ($97,986 annually), according to a report by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).
Are you looking for a higher paying job?
If so, you aren’t alone. Many people are facing day-to-day financial stress as living expenses remain at record highs. It is therefore unsurprising that one in three employees is considering quitting their jobs, according to a PwC report. Pay and wellbeing were ranked as the top two most important factors in a job, according to the report.
Source: Forbes
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