At the Scofield family estate, the preparations were nearly complete. Soldiers moved around the landing area, loading supplies into the waiting Mi-26 helicopter while the members of the team gathered for the final stage of Operation Regicide. The atmosphere was tense, but everyone was focused. Isaac pointed toward one of the soldiers carrying a heavy crate, “That's Tony.” He looked toward Adrian and Lawrence. “He's our lead cyber warfare operator for the operation. He'll be with you at the Lumina Ring to help disable those blasted Halo Bands.” Adrian blinked and nodded slowly. “Alright, then...” He lowered his head for a moment. “Max would've been really excited about getting that role.” Isaac sighed. “Yeah... He would've.” Neither of them said anything else, they both understood that Max's absence was still something the team hadn't fully gotten used to. Mira walked over and looked around. “Is that brother of mine here yet?” Barry was carrying a crate toward one of the soldiers

Snow City. Rivera triplet mansion. Monica sat beside her window, watching the snow fall outside. Xavi was sleeping soundly in a crib not far from her. The room was quiet, and she barely moved as she stared through the glass. She was holding a file, and on the front were the words, "Marriage Contract." She stared at it for a while before letting out a sigh. "Hah... Where's Adrian when you need him?"– They touched down at an international airfield on an island a few distances away from Helvian Bay at around four in the morning. The cold air hit them as the soldiers stepped out of the C-17 and began unloading their equipment. The island was partly owned by the Helvian Concord, and a line of restriction had been placed across the island even though the bay was no longer in function. The restriction had remained for years, creating a strange divide between the two sides. For some reason, Kenny had refused to sell that part of the island. The other part was owned by Zayn Garfield, t

8:40am, the UCA members were gathered at the top, 10th floor of the Spire. The room was large and circular, with a long polished table positioned near the center and comfortable chairs arranged around it for the leaders. Tall windows covered one side of the room, giving those inside a clear view of Aurelia Prime. The Helvian Concord symbol was displayed behind the main seat, while the flags of the other member countries stood in equal rows around the room. Screens along the walls showed the event feed and the time. Despite the impressive setting, the atmosphere was tense. Security officers stood near the doors, and most of the leaders spoke quietly among themselves while waiting for Kenny to begin. Everyone knew the world was watching, and whatever happened during the meeting would be remembered. Ruby Michelle Garner sat among the UCA members, doing her best to look calm. Inside, however, she was shaken. She could not stop thinking about the information the Scofields had learned

Adrian studied Lawrence's expression. “Hold on, this sounds kind of personal.” “It is.” Lawrence replied as he dropped his weapon. He flexed his fingers and looked toward the approaching soldiers. His expression was calm, but the anger underneath it was evident. Adrian sighed. “Lawrence, I know you want revenge, but it's best not to let personal matters get in the way. We have a mission to finish, and we can't afford to lose anyone here.” “We need to buy time anyway, right?” Lawrence asked. “Plus, if they get in here, people will get hurt for sure. Anti-compound bullets would do it, but these guys are trained soldiers. They won't wait around to get shot. Let me handle this in the way that I can.” Adrian's jaw worked for a while as he considered it. He knew Lawrence was right about one thing. They needed time, and the four infused soldiers were already getting closer. After careful consideration, he released Lawrence's shoulder and stepped back. “I'll tell Tony to hurry.” Lawrenc

Ruby immediately looked away from Kendall. Her chest rose and fell faster as she tried to control her breathing. She kept her face lowered, hoping nobody would notice how badly she was shaking. But Kenny had already noticed. He sighed and looked around the room. "This probably won't do shit, but... Lumen, activate full lockdown." "Understood." Lumen replied. The lights around the room suddenly changed, flashing red as a low alarm sounded throughout the Spire. "Initiating full lockdown of the Spire." The members exchanged nervous looks. One of them pushed himself away from the table. "There's no way they're actually here, right? Someone tell me this isn't happening!" "Will you sit your ass down?" Ezekiel's voice cut through the room. The man's mouth immediately shut. Silence spread across the room as Ezekiel leaned back in his chair. He turned toward Kenny, "What now? Should I go ahead?" Kenny gave him a slow nod. Ezekiel stood from his seat and adjusted his mess uniform. With