The figure, shrouded in the shadows of the night, floated ominously in the distance, his arms spreading wide as if inviting an embrace. Behind him, two massive ships loomed in the dark sky, releasing what looked like bodies from their underbellies, dropping them like lifeless debris.
"What the hell is that?" Miles shouted, his voice filled with panic.
"I don't know, but we can't wait to find out! Let's—" Ray's words were cut short as the figure shot toward him with terrifying speed. In an instant, the figure's hand clamped around Ray's head, slamming him into the wall with bone-crunching force.
Miles caught a glimpse of the assailant's face, his breath catching in his throat. It was El.
"Get Page out of here, now!" Ray bellowed, struggling against the overwhelming strength holding him.
"Shut the hell up, boy," El growled, his voice cold and mocking as he bashed Ray's head into the wall again. Blood smeared the metal surface as Ray let out a pained grunt.
Miles grabbed Page's trembling hand. "We need to go. Now!" he shouted, pulling her along. Page stumbled, her mind reeling, the chaos overwhelming her.
They sprinted through the hallway, the sound of Ray's struggles and El's taunts echoing behind them. Miles slammed his hand against the control panel, forcing the metallic double doors to slide open as they rushed toward the elevator.
"What about Ray?" Page finally managed to choke out, her voice quivering with fear.
"He'll catch up," Miles lied, his focus unwavering. "But right now, we need to get you and the Finder out of here. Where's the reactor?" he asked urgently.
Page stopped in her tracks, crumpling to the floor. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "Ray… what if he dies? He can't handle El on his own. I'll be all alone!"
Miles crouched beside her, gripping her shoulders firmly. "Look at me, Page!" he barked, shaking her gently. "You're smart, you're confident—that's the person I need right now! The person Ray needs! I'm going back to help him and get the reactor. You need to get to the ship and start it. With me and Ray together, we might stand a chance."
"I… I can't," Page whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm too scared."
Miles's expression hardened, his urgency giving way to frustration. Without warning, he slapped her—not out of malice, but to snap her out of her despair. Page gasped, staring at him in shock.
"Listen to me," Miles said, his voice steady but fierce. "I don't have time for this. No matter what happens, I'm going to be reunited with Laurel, and you're going to see your father again. But only if you get up and find the courage to fight! Now, go!"
He left her there, bolting back toward the chaos without looking back. Page sat on the cold floor, her breath ragged. Her hands trembled as she wiped her tears. "I can do this," she whispered to herself, over and over. "I can do this."
Back in the room, El had Ray pinned against the wall, his head pressed so hard into the metal that it began to warp under the pressure.
"You don't know what I'm capable of," Ray snarled, blood dripping from his forehead.
El chuckled darkly, tightening his grip. "Big words for someone on the verge of losing consciousness."
Ray's eyes flickered behind El, catching sight of Korrin's dismantled body—its pieces twitching and reconnecting. A flicker of hope crossed Ray's face. "If I were you, I wouldn't be so focused on me."
"What?" El sneered, raising Ray's head only to slam it back into the wall again.
Ray managed a weak smile, his trembling hand pointing behind El. "See for yourself."
El turned his head just in time to see Korrin fully reassemble, his body radiating with raw energy. The cyborg's expression was pure fury.
"Is that supposed to scare me?" El mocked, releasing Ray and floating back slightly.
"No," Ray coughed, sliding down the wall. "Just buying me a little time."
Before El could react, Korrin's arm transformed into a massive cannon, glowing with an intense, burning light. With a roar, Korrin unleashed a searing energy beam directly at El. The blast scorched through the wall, leaving a molten, smoking hole in its wake.
But El emerged unscathed, floating above them, an infuriating smirk on his face. "That's the best you've got?" he jeered.
"What the—" Ray stammered, disbelief etched on his face.
"Die you bastard!" Korrin growled, raising his cannon arm again. This time, he aimed for the ceiling, firing another devastating beam.
Chunks of debris rained down as the structure groaned under the assault. El dodged effortlessly, his movements swift and precise.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ray shouted, covering his head as rubble fell around them. "You'll bring this whole place down!"
"I don't care," Korrin snarled, his eyes locked on El with unrelenting hatred. "As long as I kill him, nothing else matters!"
El chuckled, the sound cold and mocking. "Pathetic," he sneered, his silhouette illuminated by the flickering flames. "You'll die trying, and I'll still win."
Korrin let out a guttural roar, charging his cannon again. Ray gritted his teeth, grabbing his vest and strapping it on as quickly as his battered body would allow.
"We're running out of time," Ray muttered under his breath, his eyes darting between Korrin and El. "Korrin, you'll regret bringing this whole place down!"
"Regret? There is nothing left here; my friends are all gone thanks to him," Korrin replied, his gaze never leaving El.
And with that, the battle raged on, the fate of everyone hanging precariously in the balance.
Smoke billowed out of the room as Miles approached, the acrid stench of burning metal filling his lungs. He heard a shout—El's voice.
"DOWN!"
Miles sprinted the final stretch, his boots pounding against the floor. As he reached the room's entrance, the sight froze him in his tracks, his blood running cold.
El floated in the air, a twisted grin plastered across his face. Below him, Ray and Korrin lay pinned to the ground, the immense force of El's gravity magic pressing them deeper into the cracking floor. Korrin's cybernetic body sparked and sputtered, while Ray struggled to move under the crushing weight.
"EL!" Miles roared, his voice cutting through the chaos. "It's me you want! Come and get me, you bastard!"
El turned slowly, his gaze locking onto Miles with an unsettling calm. "Don't get too cocky, Miles. Just because I need you alive doesn't mean I can't break every bone in your body." His voice dripped with malice as he floated closer. "Back in Alpha Dawn, I held back—I didn't want to destroy my hospital. But here? Here, I'll show you pain beyond anything you can imagine."
"No! Get Page out of here, Miles!" Ray's strained voice broke through, his face twisted in pain. "Don't step into the room! Once you do, his gravity magic will crush you too!"
Miles hesitated, his eyes darting between El and Ray. The reactor was right there. So was Ray. Leaving them wasn't an option. He clenched his fists and prepared to step forward.
Suddenly, a scream cut through the air like a blade.
"WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?"
It was Page.
Miles spun around to see her standing just down the corridor, her face pale, her expression frozen in horror.
"Damn it, Page," Miles muttered under his breath. "I told you to go."
El's grin widened. "Ah, looks like our little inventor found the gift I brought for her," he sneered. "Do you want to know the secret behind it, Miles? Or shall I—"
He didn't finish. Behind him, Ray's trembling hand shot out, fingers wrapping around the reactor's box. Ray's goggles glinted in the dim light as he turned his gaze to Korrin, who lay motionless beside him. The blue cracks on Korrin's body glowed with energy, surging and coalescing in his chest.
Ray's eyes widened. "No way. He's a ticking time bomb."
He tightened his grip on the reactor, ignoring the searing pain in his muscles. "The gravitational pressure's weaker than before," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I can do this."
El continued taunting Miles, oblivious to the scene behind him. "You want to know what I left for her? I promise, it'll change everything—"
"No," Miles interrupted sharply, his eyes flickering to Ray, who was slowly forcing himself upright. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't either."
El's eyes narrowed as he realized Miles wasn't looking at him. He turned sharply, but it was too late.
In a blue flash, Ray teleported; his fist collided with El's jaw in a blur of motion. The impact sent El flying across the hallway, his body slamming into the wall with a deafening crash. The force rippled through the corridor, leaving a web of cracks in the steel.
Ray landed on his knees, panting heavily. "I thought I told you to get Page out of here!" he barked at Miles.
Miles caught his breath, his heart still racing. "I was, but—"
Ray cut him off, tossing the reactor to him. "You came for this, right? Take it and go!"
Miles caught the reactor midair, his hands tightening around it. "What about you?"
Ray didn't answer immediately. His gaze shifted to Korrin, whose glowing cracks had intensified, the energy now pulsing dangerously. "We don't have time. That thing's going to blow. Let's move!"
"Wait—what?" Miles stammered, glancing at Korrin.
"Run!" Ray shouted, already sprinting down the hallway. Miles followed close behind, clutching the reactor as they raced past El's unconscious body.
Behind them, the air hummed with a growing intensity as Korrin's energy surged to critical levels. The ground shook violently, the walls groaning under the strain. Miles didn't dare look back.
As they reached the elevator, Ray slammed his hand against the control panel. "Page better be at the ship," he muttered, his voice sharp with urgency.
"She'll be there," Miles replied, glancing at the reactor in his hands. "We just need to make it in time."
The elevator doors slid open with a metallic hiss, revealing a harrowing scene. Page was curled up in the corner, her body trembling uncontrollably as her hands tangled in her hair. Tears streamed down her face as she muttered frantically, her voice breaking, "I didn't mean to do it… Chase… I didn't mean to…"
In front of her lay a lifeless metallic body, sprawled across the floor. Its exposed brain glistened beneath a shattered transparent casing, the flickering lights casting unsettling reflections. The figure was clad in a white lab coat, smeared with streaks of oil and blood—a grotesque fusion of flesh and machine.
Ray stepped into the elevator, his expression twisting with shock and recognition as he knelt beside the body. Hesitantly, he turned it over, his breath hitching as his eyes locked on its face. A lump formed in his throat, and tears welled up as he whispered, "No… It's him…"
Miles followed, his brow furrowing as he took a closer look. "Wait a second," he said, his tone tinged with disbelief. "Isn't that the kid who worked on the Gloster Jocker project? Back at the factory?"
Ray's hands trembled as he inspected the body more closely, his fingers tracing the cracked metallic surface of its frame. The once-human figure bore signs of hurried augmentation—cheap, haphazard, and incomplete. "It's just like Korrin," Ray murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow. "But this… this isn't the same. It's a downgrade. Rushed and careless."
Miles's attention was drawn elsewhere. He stepped toward the edge of the elevator and froze, his face tightening. "Ray," he called out, his voice low and urgent. "You might want to see this."