Cold air rushed through the narrow gaps of the titanium grate, carrying the heavy scent of ozone, machine oil, and impending bloodshed. Jhonatan stared down through the metal bars at the massive nuclear reactor chamber below. Thirty heavily armed, mechanized mercenaries patrolled the catwalks in disciplined formations. In the center, the eight-foot-tall cyborg commander stood right behind Arthur, Scarlett’s father, who was strapped to a chair with a blinking, explosive collar locked tightly around his neck. Jhonatan’s silver eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation. He didn't just look at the enemies; he looked at the intricate wiring. "System. Zoom in on the cyborg's left arm and the collar around the old man's neck," Jhonatan whispered internally. His vision instantly magnified. A faint, synchronized red laser pulse was transmitting between a cybernetic implant on the commander’s wrist and the explosive collar. [Analysis Complete.][Target Object: Bio-Linked Dead-Man's Switch

Two minutes and ten seconds. For a normal human, that was barely enough time to boil a cup of water or tie a complicated pair of shoes. For Jhonatan, operating at the absolute pinnacle of his Alpha-High evolution, it was an eternity stretching out before him, pregnant with the promise of horrific, unadulterated violence.Goliath charged, the massive hydraulic pistons in his battle suit hissing and groaning with the effort of propelling a three-ton warlord across the marble floor. The giant swung his crackling plasma warhammer in a devastating, sweeping horizontal arc intended to shatter every bone in Jhonatan’s torso."Die, anomaly!" Goliath bellowed, his voice distorted through the suit’s external speakers.Jhonatan didn’t step back. He didn't blink. He watched the massive hammer approach in extreme slow motion. His silver eyes effortlessly tracked the arc of the weapon. With casual, almost insulting ease, Jhonatan ducked under the swing. The plasma hammer cleaved through the air di