Jace threw his head back and laughed. “Guess who’s not in one piece anymore.” He said loudly, pointing at Barry’s eye patch with his metal fingers. The joints whirred softly as he flexed them. “You finally match me.” Barry didn’t even blink. “Still you.” He replied calmly. “Just because you got a robotic arm doesn’t mean I didn’t chop your real one off.” The smile on Jace’s face tightened, the mechanical arm lifted and a blast fired from his palm. Barry dove sideways just in time. The energy round struck the ground where he had been standing and exploded, sending dust and rock into the air. “So it shoots too?” Barry muttered, rolling behind cover. “Oh, it does a lot more than shoot.” Jace replied. Gunfire resumed around them. Mira’s troops and Michael’s convoy clashed again, bullets tearing through the narrow pass. But Jace wasn’t aiming at anyone else, he went straight for Barry. The metal arm moved unnaturally fast, its servos whining as it swung toward him. Barry blocked wi

The convoy rolled through the gates of the Scofield estate just before sunset. Engines rattled. Tyres screeched slightly as the escort vehicles came to a stop across the wide courtyard. The trucks were dented, scratched, some panels scorched from the explosions, but they were intact. More importantly, the cargo was intact. Soldiers rushed forward to begin unloading crates. Medical teams checked the damaged vehicles while logistics officers shouted instructions, scanning inventory lists with growing relief. Despite some broken containers and a few burned-out panels, most of the shipment was in good shape. Ammunition cases, reinforced armor plates, advanced comm units, medical packs, power cells. It was enough to breathe again, enough to fight. Across the courtyard, Monica’s voice cut through the noise. “Richard!” She ran toward him without hesitation and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. “I missed you so much!” She c

One month ago, in a distant stretch of land not far from the city Michael was in, an underground construction had begun. What appeared on the surface as an abandoned industrial zone was anything but. Deep underground, massive tunnels were being carved through rock and reinforced with steel beams. It was Mira’s plan and design. Hidden transit routes connecting cities, secret arteries beneath nations. If roads were blocked or borders sealed, she and her forces would move unseen. Michael had caught wind of it early. He sent a unit to investigate. Their mission was simple: locate the tunnel entrance, shut down the operation, and capture whoever was in charge. But they never came back intact. A handful survived, however, they were broken, shaken beyond words. Their reports were chaotic. “She moved too fast.” “She didn’t hesitate.” “She smiled while doing it.” One of them described her as, “A heartless killing machine.” Another whispered, “A monster in human form.” Michael had ass

“It’s the Conqueror!” Someone squealed, “We're saved!” “We’ve heard a lot about you!” The fear in the prisoners’ eyes shifted into something else,hope, admiration and relief. Michael didn’t react to the title. He simply stepped forward and gripped the thick chains binding the metal bars. With a sharp pull, blue energy flared across his forearms. The metal groaned, then snapped apart like brittle wire. “Time and place, everyone,” He said calmly. “Let’s get you out of here first.” As the bars fell away, a man near the back glared at Celia. “Don’t tell me you’re working with her!” He spat. “She’s a monster.” Celia stiffened. Michael’s head turned sharply. “No, she’s not.” He snapped, the edge in his voice silencing the chamber. At this point, he was tired of hearing Celia being referred to as a monster, “She risked her life to be here while none of you made a single attempt to rescue yourselves.” The prisoners fell quiet. Adrian gestured for them to follow. “This way, people. Q

Michael stepped closer to the doctor, his voice steady but urgent. “Think about it.” She looked at him carefully. “I have the Conqueror’s blood.” He continued. “Mira has the Conqueress’ blood, they’re complete opposites. If her blood in Celia is active and aggressive… Then mine should react to it.” Richard frowned slightly. “React how?” “Fight it.” Michael answered. “Naturally, they should counter each other. Either they cancel each other out… Or we override Mira’s blood entirely by introducing a higher concentration of mine.” The doctor’s expression shifted from confusion to cautious curiosity. “Biological opposition…” She moved quickly, preparing a tray. “To test the reaction, we’ll start small.” She drew a small sample of Celia’s blood first. Dark red that looked normal at a glance, but faint streaks of something deeper shimmered within it. Then she drew Michael’s blood. His sample looked ordinary too, until it caught the light. A faint blue undertone pulsed faintly beneat