Keven stares into the black orb before him, the air quivering around him before he vanishes in a puff of smoke, leaving Maroon behind as his vision turns black. He exhales sharply as his body shakes, surrounded by darkness. He grips his head, the air being pulled from his lungs, a crushing feeling spreading through his chest. He looks down at his shivering hand, ice spreading over his skin, his hair becoming stiff and frozen before a bright light causes him to close his eyes, the ground beneath him turning to grass.

  He opens his eyes, collapsing to the ground. He then looks up at the massive, windowless tower before him, the cylindrical form stretching far into the sky, the peak out of sight. He grips the dirt, inhaling as he stops shaking.

  “I’m… home…” he mutters, pulling himself to his knees. His hair sways in the wind, tears running down his face.

  “Sixty years… I can finally find out why they never came for me when I was taken by Echor,” He adds, pulling himself to his feet. His gaze shifts to the vines surrounding the base of the structure, then to the vines under the door of a smaller building beside it. He turns back to the tower, stepping forward toward the door.

  “A.T.H.R.I.N.” is written above the door in large, bold letters.

  “And now… I can finally show them,” he adds, pulling a vial filled with green liquid from his pocket, removing the cork from it and lifting it to his mouth. He swallows the liquid inside before tossing the glass aside, approaching the entrance. “I will prove to all of you that my research is not dangerous… that I can control the crown.” he grins, reaching for the handle.

  “You started this group so you could do your strange experiments, to prove the existence of alternate worlds, but now that you’ve achieved this, you’ve given up and have played it safe ever since,” Keven adds, pulling the door open. He exhales as he steps through, approaching the center, passing the entrance to the spiral staircase that leads up the tower. He glances at the floor, placing his hands on his hips.

  “Take me to the top floor,” Keven demands, watching as a ring of purple appears on the ground around him.

  “You are going to floor six, ten kilometers from your current location. Are you sure you wish to do this?” A robotic voice adds. Keven nods, the ring flashing green as a faint hum emanates from below. Keven looks up the tower, inhaling before holding his breath. With a flash of purple light, Keven vanishes, the moss covering the ground being thrown in every direction.

  Keven opens his eyes, exhaling as the purple light around him dies down. He eyes the heavy door before him, now at the top of the staircase. He steps towards the entrance, watching as it opens automatically, revealing a long hallway behind it. Pedestals line the walls, each topped with a strange, floating object. He glances at one of them, eyeing the glowing stone above it, a footprint carved into the surface. He then looks down at the text.

  “Item effect type: Constant. Item effect range: Unlimited. Item effect: when activated, allows all living entities to shift their gravity depending on the surface they attempt to stand on,” the sign below it reads. Keven takes a deep breath, continuing down the hall.

  “Where… is everyone?” he mutters, glancing up at the camera. “This floor is usually pretty empty, but this is… unusual.” he stops, turning to a door. He grins, glancing around before approaching it.

  “But if nobody is here… that only makes this easier,” he adds, continuing forward.

  “Password; enlighten, two, enforce,” he mutters, watching as the heavy door slides open. Behind the door sits a pedestal with a black crown atop it, the dark base curled at both the front and the back, with the front having larger spikes.

  “The crown of saviors, A demonic entity confined within a strangely shaped crown, capable of gifting incredible power that grows with each use, pulling more and more from your soul each time. Use of the crown is forbidden, punishable by death,” The sign below it reads, a powerful field of energy surrounding the pedestal. Keven continues, the energy warping around him as he steps through.

  “There it is… After all these years, I can finally prove that my serum works. You shall not take over my body,” Keven mutters, his voice cracking slightly at the last word. “They told me I would fail, that the crown would kill me… that I could risk it falling into Gorlac’s hands… But without access to my mind… I know that it will have no way of returning to him.” Keven reaches for it, grinning as he grips the edge of the crown, pulling it from the pedestal.

  “I’ve spent over seventy years making this solution… And I know that it will work,” He adds, raising the crown above his head. “We may not have celestial energy, but I don't need it.” he then begins to lower the crown towards his head, the ground shaking beneath him. He then places it onto his head.

  His hands are suddenly forced away from the crown, his veins pulsing with green light as an aura of darkness appears around him, the ground shaking. Dark fractures spread down his skull, burning away at the green light as electricity starts violently striking the surrounding area, ripping apart the sign and burning streaks into the floor. Keven’s eyes flash with red light as he takes a step back. He opens his mouth to scream, his voice coming out distorted as his veins start to quiver. He collapses to his knees, grasping his skull as the electricity around him grows more intense, burning holes into the floor, revealing a massive drop below. Keven watches as darkness spreads through his veins, pushing against the green color, causing his muscles to shake. He gasps as a small shape bursts from his back, crackling wth electricity. The shape hits the floor, purple energy shocking the ground around it. Purple and green light spiral beneath his skin, circling the stream of darkness in his blood. He looks down at his wrist, the sleeve being burned away to reveal a set of purple cuffs.

  The cuffs break before getting thrown to the ground as black energy flickers around them. Keven exhales sharply as a vein in his shoulder bursts, spraying green liquid as he falls to his knees, the skin on his shoulder being shrouded in darkness. He grips onto it, his pupils beginning to take a star-like shape as another vein bursts, causing him to wince. The green color starts to fade, the darkness spreading further into his skin.

  “No!” he screams, his fists clenching as his nails merge with his fingertips, turning his hands into large claws as the whites of his eyes start to turn red, a collection of tendrils flailing from them.

  “Thank you…” A distorted voice mutters, echoing from Keven’s unmoving lips as he reaches up for the crown, something inside his arms holding him back. “After over ten thousand years… my lord will finally be rewarded for his patience…” Keven breaks through the force, grasping the crown as the veins on his forearms burst, spraying the green liquid onto the floor as black engulfs his muscles.

  “Any moment, you will lose control… and I will take over…” The voice adds as Keven squeezes his mouth shut, the sound still making it through. “Gorlac will plunge the vast into an eternal war. With this, he will be gifted with endlessly expanding power… and my lord shall become the most powerful being, not just in the underworld, but in the entirety of the vast.” Keven pulls against the crown, the veins on his body bursting one by one, spraying the floor with green light as the darkness grows, threatening to overtake his body completely. Keven glances down at the holes in the floor, gasping as his hands are forced away from the crown once again. He smashes his fists against the ground, the floor breaking open and dropping Keven through. Keven swings his head back, bashing it on the wall of the tower as the wind blows him into it, cracking the cement. His hand involuntarily stabs into the barrier, tearing it apart as their descent starts to slow. Keven then grips his arm with his other hand, ripping it away from the wall as they begin to pick up speed once again. Keven then grips the crown once again.

  “Your mind had already been breached from the moment you donned the crown,” the voice adds. Keven’s body skids off the side of the tower, the darkness seeping further into his skin, threatening to fully envelope him at any moment. He turns towards the ground, eyeing the dirt still far below him.

  Keven’s body freezes mid-air, a loud crack echoing from his body as his momentum causes his limbs to be pulled towards the ground. His fists clench, shaking with dark energy.

  “They were right…” Keven mutters, his body being turned upright before he is thrown to the ground at incredible speeds, crashing against the dirt. The last of the green substance gathers in his upper back before bursting through his skin as he stumbles to his feet.

  His eyes widen as they flash with red light, his pupils becoming a star-like shape, fading from purple to white. His head is forced to the sky, a beam of dark energy bursting from his mouth, stretching far into the sky as Keven’s arms are forced to his side, an aura of black thundering around him, ripping apart the grass. Two more smaller beams shoot from his eyes, wrapping around the larger one as the ground beneath him is ripped apart. The beam tears through the halls that protrude from the peak of the tower, burning a massive hole straight through the concrete before the beams dissipate, causing Keven’s body to stumble back, now completely enveloped in dark energy.

  His body glances around, the air around him becoming distorted as he raises his hand above his head. He then swings his arm, tearing a large hole in the air before him, the opening quickly pulling itself back together, leaving only a small streak that a face peers through, the bloody grin plastered onto its face growing while its pure red eyes stare through.

  “My lord…” Keven’s body mutters before kneeling and placing his fist over his heart. “I am honored to meet you once again.”

  “Where… have you been? Why… haven't thou made contact… until now?” A voice asks, the teeth of the face on the other side quivering.

  “Because I have been locked away, and nobody was tempted enough to don the crown… Not until Keven, who it took many years to do so.” He watches as a floating hand raises toward the opening, the skin made of stone, the fingers made of small cylinders to create a claw-like form. The hand presses against the opening, attempting to force its way through.

  “Why can I not get through?” the voice mutters, the face's eye twitching while its grin remains plastered on its face.

  “Because this body is weak… The vessel had polluted its power down to its weakest form… So I’m afraid I must resort to a beacon for you to follow, my lord… though it may take a few minutes,” Keven’s body replies.

  “Very well… Do not disappoint me… Fuerza,” The voice adds, watching as the opening closes. Fuerza clenches their fists, inhaling.

  “I will not disappoint you.” Fuerza closes their eyes, the crown pulsating with dark power, before a faint hum draws their attention. As they open their eyes, a barrage of bullets blasts into them, being shot from a small turret on the ground as gargantuan walls start to rise from the dirt around the tower and Fuerza, each segment creating a thundering crash as it locks into place. Fuerza covers their face with their arm, the bullets bouncing off their skin as they snarl. They squeeze their fist, causing the turret to burst, sending shards of metal flying in every direction as four large cannons emerge from the highest segments of the barriers. Fuerza looks up at them as the crown continues to pulsate, purple energy gathering in the barrel. Fuerza remains still as a large projectile shoots from the cannon, hurtling towards them.

  Fuerza raises their hand before striking the projectile, sending it ricocheting off their arm, crashing against the ground. The ball of energy explodes beneath him, sending powerful winds through the landscape around them, tearing apart a massive patch of grass. Fuerza deashes from the smoke, ripping up a streak of dirt as they sprint over it, smashing against the wall with enough force to create a massive dent in the structure. Fuerza leaps into the air, blasting into the sky fast enough to break the sound barrier before tearing through the cannon, causing it to explode. They then grasp onto a hanging piece of metal to catch themselves before using it to boost themselves towards the barrier, landing on it and sticking as if it were the floor. Fuerza crouches down before launching themself through the tower and into the other cannon, landing on the barrel with a thud as energy starts to gather inside. They shove their hand inside as the cannon attempts to shoot, causing the energy to explode while still inside the cannon, creating a powerful blast that sends the barrel flying towards the ground with Fuerza still hanging onto it. They leap from the barrel, crashing against the tower as their claws dig into the concrete. They swat another purple projectile away, causing it to fly to the ground and explode before they rip through the sky towards one of the remaining two cannons.

  Fuerza slams against it, catching themself with their claws, tearing open the shaft before they turn to the last remaining cannon. Standing as they watch energy build in the barrel. They jab their hand through the cannon they are standing atop, causing the system to power down. Right before it fires, a small hint of green flashes within the barrel. Fuerza leaps forward, raising their hand in front of their face before attempting to swat it away. As their arm makes contact, the orb bursts, creating a green explosion powerful enough to send Fuerza barreling to the ground, crashing against the dirt at incredible speeds. They look up as they slide to a stop, the black layer around their arm having been burned away, exposing Keven’s skin, which is covered in black cracks. They clench their fist, attempting to spread darkness over it, only to watch as any darkness that touches Keven’s forearm is burned away with green light. Fuerza looks up at the cannon, crouching down before leaping into the air once again, leaving a crater from the force of their jump. They slam against the barrel, raising their arm and attempting to slash at it. The muscles inside their arm tense as the claws retract, their fingertips scraping uselessly against the metal. Fuerza glances at their hand before the cannon shoots, a powerful ball of energy striking them directly in the chest, sending them hurtling towards the ground once again. Fuerza grabs onto the tower as they fly past it, their claws tearing into the concrete to pull them to a stop as their other arm goes limp. Fuerza looks down at their chest, watching as green light burns away at the darkness, causing their claws to quiver, allowing them to slide down slightly.

  “This vessel… is weak…” Fuerza mutters, launching themself down to the ground. They crash against what is left of the grass, tearing it up as they slide to a stop. They grasp the crown with their uninjured arm, the darkness sliding off and being fed into the crown’s surface, causing it to shake.

  “I only need a few more moments for the beacon,” They add, both of their arms becoming limp as red streaks appear on the crown’s surface. They press themself against the concrete wall, the tower standing between them and the cannon. They gasp as a burst of energy hits them from behind, tearing into their back as they stumble forward and spin around, staring at a small hole in the concrete. Another blast shoots from the small opening, striking the crown with enough force to throw Fuerza back, causing them to crash against the door of the small building beside the tower. They attempt to pull away, only for another blast to send them hurtling through the door, crashing against a large button. The redness in the crown dissipates, a sphere of darkness forming above it as another ball of green energy is shot towards them. Fuerza attempts to shield their face as the blast flies closer, passing through the doorway before Fuerza, the crown, and the projectile freeze in place, a bubble forming in the entrance.

  The green projectile strikes the crown as the sphere of darkness shoots into the sky, pressing against the ceiling above them before the crown is ripped off their head, pulling the darkness with it, causing Keven to collapse back into the button once again before collapsing to the floor, the crown landing beside him. Keven glances up at the orb, watching as it bursts through the ceiling and into the sky, the ground shaking. He grasps his heart, taking a shaky breath as the dark cracks remain in his skin with small patches of green spread throughout.

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  “They… were right…” he mutters, turning to the screen behind him, his eyes widening as he reads it.

  “Jump successful,” it reads. Keven pulls himself to his feet, stumbling forward towards the entrance. He glances down at the vines lining the ground, now much larger than before.

  “I… don't know how long I have until the beacon reaches Gorlac… I need to… to do something,” he adds, coughing into his hand, small bits of blood covering his palm. “That serum… from the cannons… It felt just like mine. They must have… made more…” he mutters, looking down at his hand as his nails turn purple. “That… thing… tore out the inhibitor…” Keven steps through the doorway, taking a shaky breath as he stares at the landscape. His eyes scan the torn apart ground, the grass having completely regrown over the massive craters. As he looks around, he notices that the massive walls are now gone.

  “How… long has it been?” he mutters, his eyes flashing with purple light. He turns to the crown, reaching for it. As he does so, purple energy surrounds the base, lifting it to his hand. He then vanishes, taking the crown wth him.

  “Two jumps have passed, equaling ten years,” a screen beside the entrance reads, a large piece of concrete falling from the ceiling.

  Keven sits outside, resting against the base of the tower, the skin on his hands having turned gray, black cracks scattered around his face. His eyes scan the flat grassy land before him, the craters gone, and the lumps smoothed over. He sighs as he pulls a vial of green liquid from his pocket and pours it into the cup in his hand. He looks down at a circular device in his hands, pressing the button on the top.

  “Ayu, what is the current year?” he asks before lifting the cup to his mouth.

  “The current universal year is twelve, sixty-eight, three, AD,” A voice replies, causing Keven to sit back. He lowers the cup from his lips, setting it beside himself.

  “Shit, I guess they got the bunker working, it really has been ten years… And I probably only have a few days until Gorlac finds his way here using the beacon,” Keven mutters, sitting back up and looking at the back of his hands. “Gorlac called that being Fuerza… I wonder if that is its name… or its title… but why am I waiting until now to think about these questions? It’s already been a few days.” he glances down at the rolled-up piece of brownish paper beside him.

  “Pretty soon, I will need to find someone new to give the crown to… Someone trustworthy… or maybe just someone powerful enough to protect it,” he adds, his gaze shifting back to his hands, watching as a large piece of dead, dried-up skin falls from them. He looks up, watching as a crack appears in the air, shaking violently. He grasps onto the paper, his hands shaking as the fracture starts to spin. With a powerful blast of wind, the grass beneath the fracture is ripped from the dirt, being thrown aside as Maxwell appears in the center, the fracture vanishing. Maxwell falls to the ground, landing on his knees with a heavy thud, indenting the ground before collapsing forward.

  Maxwell glances up, his vision blurred as Keven approaches, the electricity being fed to him from the machine slowly dying, causing his pupils to flicker gray. Maxwell pushes himself to his hand and knees, blood flying from his mouth as he coughs.

  “Who are you?” Keven mutters, his hands twitching as thin needles of energy surround him. Maxwell grips the dirt, taking a slow breath, the sound of grinding metal emitting from his chest.

  “Maxwell…” he mutters, his muscles shaking. “Did it work? Am I… am I somewhere else? What… what’s the last major event that happened?”

  “Are you a new member of Athrin?” Keven adds, kneeling before him.

  “Ath… Athrin?” Maxwell replies, wincing as sparks fall from his elbow. “I… I don’t know what that is.”

  “How did you get here? The last time we found a rogue was over a hundred years ago… But usually we find large groups of scientists, or a leader… and they're usually human,” Keven remarks, mostly to himself as he stares at Maxwell.

  “What?” Maxwell exclaims, squinting his eyes.

  “When a Staregate is activated without a set of valid coordinates, they often get redirected to the central reality, though ours is inaccessible. Because of this, they get thrown into the nearest timeline… which is this one. Did you encounter a decommissioned stargate?” Keven adds.

  “Realities, timelines… stargates? So it worked? My machine worked?” Maxwell mutters, opening his eyes as he locks gazes with Keven. “And you’re… a human…”

  “I am… what does that matter?”

  “I… Didn’t think humans were real… So it… must have worked…” Maxwell adds.

  “Did you… create a stargate from scrap… on your own? How? Why?” Keven remarks, the needles around him vanishing.

  “I… I did… There was… nothing else left to try… Ammolite… this group-” Maxwell begins, getting cut off by Keven, who stands. Keven backs away, watching as Maxwell collapses again, the electricity growing very weak as Keven looks down at his hands.

  “They must… not have humans in… But I told the orb to move to the nearest, and least-populated reality…” he mutters to himself before looking back up at Maxwell. “What was your population before they arrived?” Keven asks, staring at Maxwell.

  “About… one or two million…” Maxwell replies weakly.

  “Then the range must have been weak… and there must have been no empty ones nearby,” Keven again mutters to himself.

  “I’m dying…” Maxwell cuts in, the color in his eyes weak. “I was attacked before I came here… and… once I run out of energy… My organs will break down…” Keven glances at the machine on his chest, then at the robot in his arms.

  “What do you need?” Keven asks, his hands twitching again. “I am dying as well… There isn’t much I can do.” Maxwell tries to push himself up again, staring at Keven.

  “I just need power… Like, energy, electricity… something to power my…” Maxwell begins, collapsing again. “Machine…” Keven glances back at the twer, then back at him.

  “I have something that you can use… It’s broken, but it still emits energy, enough to last a few years,” Keven answers before exhaling. He takes a step back, vanishing in a flash of purple as Maxwell’s gaze shifts to the stream of energy coming from the robot. The stream of electricity then halts, dying fully as Maxwell’s eyes turn gray.

  Maxwell gasps, opening his eyes to see Keven kneeling before him, a stream of purple energy being fed into the device on his chest from a small glass eye in Keven’s hand.

  “This is Lux… a prosthetic eye made to control Athrin systems. It’s broken, but can provide a few years of energy to power your machines,” Keven remarks, watching as Maxwell carefully grabs it, staring at the red, pentagonal pupil. Maxwell reaches for his chest, grasping the machine before carefully pulling it from his body, placing it against the eye. He quickly reaches up to his face, pulling out his glass eye on the right, causing thin wires to snap, before he carefully inserts the new one into the socket. Maxwell glances up at Keven, watching as he lifts a rolled-up piece of old-looking paper to his lips.

  “Thank you…” Maxwell mutters, his muscles tensing as the metal on his body starts to become smoother.

  “Send Maxwell home,” Keven mutters before pointing the rolled-up paper towards him. Maxwell attempts to stand before a flash of purple light blinds him.

  Maxwell gasps, his eyes shooting open as he sits up. He feels the stone tiles beneath him, the metal on his body going from crude and oversized to smooth and well-fitting. His eyes dart around his lab, scanning the decimated walls and ceiling. He takes a deep breath, relaxing his muscles before reaching up, feeling his face, and carefully touching the red pupil in his right eye. The iris begins to glow as his finger makes contact with the pentagon. A faint chime emanates from the eye, a hollow red pentagon appearing in his vision.

  “Congratulations on your first Athrin assistant implant! My name is Lux, and I am here to help with any questions you might have. Just allow me to update the system,” A voice announces as Maxwell pulls himself to his paws. “Over thirty million files are restricted, while several million are corrupted… an estimated ten thousand files remain accessible… Welcome to the Athrin database. Please state your full name.” Maxwell grasps his head, feeling as metal spreads over his ears.

  “Maxwell… Corleno,” He replies, listening as Lux chimes. He stumbles forward and catches himself on the wall, glancing at the ladder.

  “Welcome, Maxwell. Access to the database has been granted by Keven… but to ensure full connection, I will need permission to access your memories. Your memories will not be stored in the database, and will not be shared with other members… Do you wish to initiate the connection?” Lux adds as Maxwell stumbles closer to the exit.

  “Yes,” Maxwell answers, grasping one of the metal rungs. He winces, releasing the rung and reaching up to grip his head once again.

  “You may experience pain during the link. This will only take a few moments,” Lux announces, the red pupil fluctuation for a second before another chime echoes from inside Maxwell’s head, the pain fading.

  “You are now fully integrated with the Athrin database! Do you have any questions?” Lux asks. Maxwell backs away from the ladder, taking a slow breath.

  “How can I kill Maroon?” He mutters, watching as transparent squares slide into his vision, containing walls of strange symbols.

  “According to your memory, Maroon appears to have extremely advanced regenerative capabilities, as well as the ability to create and manipulate fire… I have noticed that this reality has its own form of the internet… Shall I attempt to connect?” Lux adds.

  “Sure, but the internet has been down for a while,” Maxwell replies, waiting for a few moments before another square slides into place beside the first, containing a multitude of videos that play simultaneously.

  “According to videos taken around nine years ago, Maroon also possesses enhanced strength, hearing, and smell. Shank possesses shapeshifting abilities, and Mark possesses enhanced strength… According to a few videos uploaded, Shank has been observed rescuing survivors, while-” Lux begins, being cut off by Maxwell.

  “How did you… access the internet? It’s been down for years… And more importantly, I know about Shank… I just need to know how to kill Maroon,” Maxwell mutters, slumping against the wall.

  “This reality has quite poor security, so accessing the data centers and temporarily reactivating them to access the internet was quite simple. Athrin tech can easily transport small bursts of energy long distances, as well as extract information from unprotected systems. Maroon has been observed surviving many, usually fatal injuries, including losing her head… The best course of action appears to be… Return to the Heart and report Maroon to Echor,” Lux answers.

  “What… is Echor?” he questions, watching as the squares slide away, being replaced by another.

  “Echor, also known as Enhanced containment, humanization, observation, and rehabilitation, is a prison made to hold Enhanced criminals. Going off what I have seen in your memory, Maroon has done plenty to be labeled a high-priority criminal. Once you return to the Heart, I will forward all the information to Echor so that they may arrest Maroon and Mark.”

  “What’s the Heart?” Maxwell questions, sliding to the floor.

  “The Heart is the homeworld of Athrin, as well as the home of Athrin’s tower, and Echor… Many files relating to the Heart are restricted,” Lux replies.

  “Are you sure that’s the only option?” Maxwell asks, taking a deep breath as he glances back down at the opening. “And… How would I get there?”

  “The technology currently available in this reality is not sufficient to contain or destroy Maroon. To return to the Heart, I will need to open a two-way stargate between this reality and the Heart… would you like for me to attempt to do so?”

  “Go ahead…” he answers, listening as a faint whir emits from Lux.

  “Working… Working… File recovered… Attempting to open stargate…” Lux announces. Maxwell glances around, exhaling.

  “Is it-” he begins, being cut off by Lux.

  “The core is damaged, and requires a material not native to this reality to be repaired… traversing the vast should be impossible without it…” Lux begins, before a square appears in Maxwell's vision, containing a picture of the machine Maxwell used to find Keven. “However… if your memory proves correct, it is possible, but through very crude, and dangerous means… Over the course of your entire adulthood, and a large portion of your childhood, you had been studying the possibility of alternate realities. It appears that during the crisis, you had leaned even further into this research and created a prototype that you were forced to test on yourself… With these blueprints, re-creating the machine should take only a few weeks.” Maxwell watches as blueprints begin appearing around his vision. He takes a deep breath, pulling himself to his paws.

  “And you’re absolutely sure that this is the only option?” Maxwell asks.

  “There is a one in several million chance that you could overpower Maroon on your own, and after a quick scan, every material needed appears to be inside this room,” Lux answers.

  “Well, then, I guess let's get started,” Maxwell mutters, approaching a drawer at the far end of the chamber. He pulls open one of the compartments, revealing a multitude of tools as Lux chimes.

  Over three weeks later, Maxwell takes a step back, his body covered in dust, oil, and bruises. He looks up at the machine before him, the base a complete copy of Maxwell’s machine, but with an arch made from thousands of small, curved spikes.

  “The stargate appears to be ready… Combining your brute-force method of breaching the vast, with the gateway formation of Athrin’s tech, you-” Lux begins, being cut off by Maxwell.

  “Thank you, but I don't need a recap,” Maxwell remarks, glancing at the mattress on the ground, then to the computer on the wall. He approaches the computer, stretching before pressing one of the keys.

  “Computer, raise the lab,” he demands, watching as the screen turns blue. The ground then starts to shake gently, and small segments of the wall lower to reveal windows, as well as a simple door. Maxwell watches as the ground appears to lower until the lab is locked into place, the floor aligned with the grass.

  “Operation decoy abandoned,” a robotic voice chimes.

  “After Maroon attacked, I dug my lab into the ground and built a decoy house on top of it,” Maxwell adds.

  “I know. I have access to your memory,” Lux answers. Maxwell sighs, turning to the window beside the computer.

  “Maroon is pretty stupid, so it’s unlikely she’ll double-check,” Maxwell mutters, staring at the sun as it dips below the horizon. “You know… I never really got a chance to look directly at the sun… since normal eyes burn when you do so… It’s pretty.”

  Maxwell furrows his brows as a massive white light shines in the distance below the horizon.

  “What the…” Maxwell begins as the light gathers in one spot for a moment before shooting through the landscape, engulfing his home. Before Maxwell can open his mouth to speak, a projectile tears through the building, effortlessly burning a hole through the metal walls as a shockwave rips the entire structure from the ground, causing it to tilt back, the windows shattering. Maxwell hits the floor with a thud, attempting to shout, the sound of the wind drowning out his voice. He grips the wall as the wind dies down, his lab beginning to fall back into place. It crashes against the ground, throwing Maxwell forward, causing him to slide across the tiles.

  Maxwell remains still, taking a shaky breath.

  “Lux!” he shouts, pushing himself to his knees. “What… What the fuck was that!” He glances up at the holes burned into the walls, molten metal dripping from the openings.

  “It appears that a projectile collided with your lab… Visual scans show that the projectile appears to have been a mass of mangled flesh, with bones lodged inside. DNA scans show genetic code matching the samples you’ve studied belonging to Maroon,” Lux replies, another file sliding into place in Maxwell’s vision. “However… The mass still appears to be alive…” Maxwell pulls himself upright, sprinting towards the door.

  “I suggest reporting Maroon before attempting to locate the source of the blast,” Lux suggests as Maxwell rushes towards the back of his lab, his eyes locking onto a tarp covering something behind the building.

  “I can’t do that, I need to see what happened, otherwise I could miss an opportunity,” Maxwell replies, grasping the tarp before ripping it away to reveal a truck. He reaches forward, grabbing the handle before pulling the door open and jumping inside. He slams it shut behind himself before pressing a button beside the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to hum to life.

  The truck’s tires screech to a halt outside Amber’s house as Maxwell stares through the opening in the brick wall. His gaze shifts down to the gold-colored plasma covering the floor, electricity faintly cracking around it.

  “Lux, what do you make of this?” Maxwell asks, stepping out from the vehicle.

  “Scanning…” Lux replies, the pupil shrinking for a moment before flashing purple. “The female appears to be alive, while the Male appears deceased.” Maxwell exhales, stepping closer to Lana. He kneels beside her, placing two fingers on her neck to feel her pulse.

  “You’re right, she’s alive,” Maxwell adds, standing once again.

  “There is an update… The male appears to have been resuscitated, as they are breathing once again,” Lux remarks, causing him to turn to Amber, watching as his chest rises and falls.

  “Let’s get them back to the lab, I need to know what happened here,” Maxwell mutters, pulling himself upright and turning back to the truck.