As the flames from the base behind us roared into the sky, I carried Cynthia through the crimson haze of destruction. My every step left craters in the concrete, my breath came out in steaming bursts, and the red veins of power pulsed like molten rivers across my skin.I felt alive, more alive than I’d ever been.And the voice inside me—the alien—whispered its approval.“John, this is your moment. Show them what happens when they dare take what’s yours.”Cynthia groaned in my arms, her body trembling. I held her tighter, shielding her from the debris as the reinforced steel walls collapsed around us. Another squad of SCID mutants appeared at the far end of the corridor, screaming orders and raising their weapons.But they were too slow.I hurled a chunk of concrete at them—it crushed three of them outright, their bodies reduced to bloody smears against the walls. I rushed forward, grabbed a soldier by the legs, and swung him like a hammer, breaking necks, smashing faces, painting the

I barely had time to breathe. Samson surged forward, his mechanical arms slamming down with a sound like cracking thunder, the ground splitting beneath his fists. I dodged, but barely, his next swing tearing through the bunker’s reinforced wall, sending fragments of concrete flying like shrapnel.Porter flickered, his body twisting in and out of reality, and then—bam!—his fist connected with my ribs, sending me sprawling across the floor, the air rushing from my lungs.I could hear Cynthia’s screams as the techno-witch floated above, her voice cold and venomous as runic glyphs spun around her, charging with deadly energy. Arcs of searing plasma snaked down towards Cynthia, burning through metal like it was paper.I lunged, barely grabbing Cynthia, throwing us both behind a shattered column as the plasma carved glowing scars across the bunker floor. Blood roared in my ears. I was fast, but they were coordinated, precise, hitting us from every angle.“They’re toying with us!” Cynthia cr

Cynthia’s hand froze mid-reload, her face paling as she locked eyes with me. “What the hell do you mean he might not be dead?” she whispered, the words almost catching in her throat.I clenched my jaw, the alien inside me churning with a low, guttural growl, its presence like a coiling serpent in the pit of my gut. “If Mr. White injected himself with the serum of life—just like the one I was given—he could regenerate. I blew his head off, but if he had the serum, that might not be enough. He could be healing, right now, even as we speak.”Cynthia’s face twisted into a grimace of disbelief, then hardened into something colder. “Then we have a bigger problem than we thought,” she said, her voice flat and resolute. “If he’s still alive, he’ll rally whatever’s left of SCID. And next time, he won’t just send the squad. He’ll come himself.”The alien in me rumbled with bitter amusement, its thoughts slipping into mine like venom through a wound. “If he returns, he’ll be more dangerous. His

The numbing cold spread through my veins, but I gritted my teeth, focusing every fragment of my mind on resisting the drug’s pull. The alien inside me growled, Stay with me, John. You’re stronger than this.The sedative’s effect was heavy, making my muscles tremble with weakness. But my rage and stubbornness fueled me. I couldn’t let Blade hand us over without knowing who he was working for.That’s when I heard it—dozens of boots pounding against the metal floors, footsteps rushing in like a flood of violence. The door at the far end of the room slammed open, and through my blurred, barely focused vision, I saw them.SCID soldiers in full tactical gear, weapons drawn, helmets glinting in the low light. Their presence alone made my blood boil, but the sight of one figure, taller than the rest, with a predatory smirk, made my heart ice over.It was Mr. White.He moved through the mass of soldiers like a shark through a school of fish, exuding a casual, lethal confidence. His white suit

The van’s relentless rumble slowed to a halt, and the sudden hiss of the hydraulic doors jolted me awake, though I was still groggy from the sedative. Rough hands yanked me to my feet, the metal shackles biting into my wrists and ankles, leaving deep, burning welts. Cynthia, barely conscious, was dragged beside me, her face pale and her eyes glazed.We were pulled out into a gray, steel-walled bay, where rows of heavily armed SCID soldiers stood at attention, forming a corridor toward a massive black gate. Overhead, blinding white lights beamed down, casting long, sharp shadows. The air was sterile and frigid, tinged with the faint scent of ozone and disinfectant.Ahead loomed the SCID prison, a colossal fortress unlike anything I had seen. The outer walls were titanium-alloy plated, reinforced with layers of invisible energy fields that shimmered faintly when struck by the occasional flicker of lightning from the stormy sky above. Towering watchtowers rose from each corner, manned by