A New Force for a New Era

  The city was changing.

  What had once been the stuff of comic books and conspiracy theories was now everyday reality: superpowered individuals walking the streets, making headlines, and shifting the balance of power. The NYPD had struggled to keep up—until now.

  In an unprecedented move, police officers from all five boroughs who had come out as having superpowers formed a specialized Superpower Task Force (STF) to deal with the growing crisis. It was a first-of-its-kind unit, designed to police their own—because no one else could.

  But recruitment was slow.

  Despite the explosion of superpowered individuals since the solar eclipse, many were hesitant to step forward, let alone join law enforcement. Some feared government oversight. Others wanted nothing to do with the growing conflict between supers and society. The STF was operating at less than a quarter of the manpower it needed, and tensions in the city were only growing.

  Meanwhile, in Midtown Manhattan, Barry Cartwright was preparing to make his own impact on the superpowered community.

  Barry’s New Beginning

  Barry had always known how to fight in a courtroom. As a top attorney, he had built a reputation for being ruthless, logical, and thorough. But after the accident that turned his body into living metal, his entire life had been upended. Fired from his prestigious law firm due to fears of negative publicity, he had been forced to rethink his future.

  With the support of his sister Mary and her family, Barry had finally done what he had once thought impossible: he opened his own law firm.

  Cartwright & Associates – Advocates for the Superpowered

  The name alone was enough to stir conversation. A law firm dedicated specifically to supers? It was unprecedented. While there were already lawyers handling individual cases of supers being wrongfully accused or exploited, Barry was the first to make it the entire focus of a firm.

  And the timing couldn’t have been better.

  With fear and paranoia rising against superpowered individuals, cases of discrimination were piling up. Supers were being denied jobs, refused service, and even falsely arrested just because of their abilities. Some were evicted from their apartments under flimsy pretenses. Others were being hounded by journalists and social media mobs.

  Barry saw an opportunity—not just for profit, but for justice.

  First Clients, First Battles

  His first clients were hesitant, wary of exposing themselves further, but desperation pushed them to his door.

  One was Miguel Ruiz, a construction worker in Queens who had developed enhanced strength after the eclipse. He had been fired from his job after lifting a steel beam without equipment, with his boss claiming he was a “safety hazard” for being too strong.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Another was Jasmine Carter, a college student whose ability to generate electricity had gotten her expelled from NYU after an incident in the dorms. No one had been hurt, but the school claimed she was a liability.

  Then there was Oliver Grant, a former EMT who had developed the power to heal others by touch. Instead of being celebrated, he was fired from his job due to concerns about “unregulated medical procedures.”

  Barry took them all on.

  His first lawsuit—Ruiz v. Metro Construction Co.—set the precedent. Barry argued that firing someone for having superpowers was discrimination, no different than firing someone based on race or disability. The case drew massive attention, both from the media and from civil rights organizations. When Barry won, it sent shockwaves through the legal world.

  Jasmine’s case against NYU was next, forcing the university to reconsider its expulsion policies. Oliver’s wrongful termination case against the city’s emergency services was still pending, but Barry was confident.

  One by one, he was building a foundation.

  But not everyone was happy about it.

  Pushback and Growing Danger

  Barry’s success didn’t go unnoticed. Anti-super groups were growing louder, calling him a “defender of freaks” and a “threat to public safety.” Anonymous threats arrived at his office. Protesters gathered outside, chanting for supers to be “monitored” or “deported”—as if having powers made them less than human.

  And then there were the more dangerous threats.

  One night, Barry was leaving his office when he noticed something strange. His metal-enhanced vision caught the glint of a laser sight in the reflection of a nearby car window.

  Sniper.

  He barely had time to react before the gun fired. The bullet struck his shoulder, but instead of penetrating, it flattened against his metal skin and clattered to the ground. Barry turned to face his attacker, but the gunman was already gone, disappearing into the crowded streets of New York.

  Barry knew what this meant.

  Someone wanted him dead.

  And it was only going to get worse.

  The STF and Barry Cross Paths

  A week after the attack, Barry received an unexpected visit.

  Two officers in plainclothes walked into his office—one tall and broad-shouldered, the other lean with a calculating expression. Barry recognized them instantly.

  Detective Isaac Ford – Enhanced reflexes and durability. Former SWAT, now one of the STF’s lead operatives.

  Lieutenant Rachel Vega – Heightened senses and rapid cellular regeneration. One of the first officers to come out as superpowered.

  “Mr. Cartwright,” Ford said, closing the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

  Barry gestured to the chairs across from his desk. “I assume this isn’t a social call?”

  Vega smirked. “No. We’ve been keeping an eye on your cases. You’re making waves.”

  Barry leaned back. “That’s the idea.”

  Ford exhaled. “Look, we’re on the same side here. We’re trying to keep the peace, make sure supers don’t get out of control. But there are people out there who see you as a threat—big money interests, government agencies, maybe even some of our own.”

  “You think someone tried to assassinate me?” Barry asked.

  Vega’s smile faded. “We know someone did.” She pulled out her phone and slid it across the desk. A paused security camera feed showed a blurry figure on a rooftop. “We’re still identifying the shooter, but this wasn’t random.”

  Barry picked up the phone, studying the image. “So what do you want from me?”

  “We want to help,” Ford said. “And we might need your help too.”

  Barry frowned. “I’m not a cop.”

  “No,” Ford said. “But you’re a damn good lawyer. We need someone who understands super-related law, who can help us navigate this new world. Someone who can keep things from spiraling out of control.”

  Barry considered it.

  For months, he had been focused on protecting supers from the law. But now, the law was evolving. The STF was proof of that. If he could work with them, maybe—just maybe—he could shape the future of how supers were treated in society.

  But it was a dangerous game.

  Finally, Barry nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

  Ford and Vega exchanged glances. Then Ford handed Barry a card.

  “If you ever need backup,” he said, “call us.”

  Barry took the card, his fingers running over the raised lettering.

  Detective Isaac Ford – Superpower Task Force

  The world was changing.

  And Barry Cartwright was right in the middle of it.