Kyle's POV "This is the new ship we will be using—Vector 15—produced by the Star Labs comparative, owned by Derek West," Johnny said. The new ship was a bit bigger than the ones we knew or had used: more shiny, touchy control panels, more weapons, good interior design, and an engine powered by the DS AI (Derek West Artificial Intelligence)... "Why is that prick Derek giving out his latest model of engine to the military for her operations?" I asked myself, feeling disgust. "I know Derek, the West family, Star Labs... they are all behind Orion. They are all behind my mother's death." "And that prick—there's more to him, isn't he? I know he is. Like she said in my visions, the one below all... she has a herald, someone who is meant to make my life a living hell here. It's him, isn't it? It's all connected," I thought to myself. Carter noticed my facial expressions. "Are you good?" she asked. "Yh... yeah, I am. I just had a strange feeling, but it's all good now. Let's just focus

Kyle's POV "BOYAAHH... who's the best pilot? I am the best pilot—oh, yeah... it's meee... oh, yeah!" Johnny sang. "Ohhh please, Johnny... you're causing me a headache with that kind of voice," Axel replied. I looked out the window and saw a clear, beautiful view above. We'd flown above the stormy clouds. The sky was bright blue with the reflection of a yellow sun — it was so beautiful. "Great job, Johnny," I said. "Okk, so where were we? Oh yeah... it's your turn, Rush! What's your story?" Johnny asked. "Well... growing up as a Black kid with no superpowers," Rush said. "Gifts, Rush—gifts," Johnny corrected. "Well, fuck you, Johnny. They're still superpowers. Where was I... oh, yeah. Growing up as a Black kid with no SUPERPOWERS! All I had in mind, or all I've always wanted to become, was to play football," Rush said. "You mean rugby? It's rugby, you know. Wait — you really call football 'soccer' and call rugby 'football'?" Johnny said jokingly. "Well, the Americans

Kyle's POV It was a freezing cold and quiet night. We had all moved into our tents to rest. "The bed’s not that big, but it should contain both of us," Carter said while taking her clothes off. "Yeah..." I replied, staring at her as she undressed. "You know, it’s kinda cold. Although the heat machine’s on, we’re still in the middle of the North Pole. I mean, it’s like a continent of ice. You’re not planning on sleeping shirtless, are you?" I said, walking up to her. "Well, I’ve been dressed up all day, and these boobs need a little air, don’t they?" she said with a smile. "They need a little air, or they need me?" I replied. "Well, it depends... do you want them?" she teased, her hands crossing around my neck. "Is that even a question? We haven’t had any free time together for hours... and now we do. Are you literally asking if I want them?" I said to her. Then she kissed me—slowly, deeply. "You do... I want to feel your tongue on my nipples right now," she whispere

The air inside the cave was not just cold; it was a predatory cold, a stillness that felt like the held breath of some colossal beast. The jagged walls of blue ice seemed to absorb the light from their tactical flashlights, casting long, dancing shadows that twisted into monstrous shapes at the periphery of their vision. The only sounds were the crunch of their boots on the frost-rimed floor and the low, rhythmic hum that seemed to emanate from the very core of the glacier. Axel’s bionic limbs moved with a near-silent whir, her grip tight on the twin plasma-edged axes she’d nicknamed ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Retribution’. Her breath misted in the frigid air, each exhale a small, determined cloud. “You feel that?” she whispered, her voice barely disturbing the oppressive silence. “That hum. It’s not natural.” Kyle nodded, his enhanced senses on high alert. The world was a tapestry of sensory input for him. The stark white of the ice was tinged with the cool blue of anxiety radiating from Axe

The silence in the cavern was heavier than the miles of ice above them. It was a silence thick with the echo of violence and the weight of Kyle’s grim pronouncement. The air, once sharp with the electric hum of the alien machine, now hung stale and cold, smelling of ozone, melted chitin, and blood. Johnny’s usual bravado had evaporated. He stared at the dark, silent heart of the machine, his hands, still coated in a fine sheen of frost from his unused powers, clenched into fists at his sides. "A door... for a god?" he muttered , the words sounding absurd and terrifying in the hollow space. "And Derek West... that preening, champagne sipping... bastard." The curse was devoid of humor, laced with a venom they rarely heard from him. Rush was already on his knees, using a scanner from his belt to take readings of the defunct device. "The energy signature is unlike anything in our databases. It's... coherent. Not chaotic like the portal energy. He's right. This is a stabilizer.