The interior of the armored transport was dark, lit only by the stark, flashing red emergency lights and the faint, unsettling blue glow emanating from the Overdrive rune on the team's new Vanguard armor.
Axel sat rigid, his breathing slow and deliberate. Around him, the other four who had consumed the Red Vial were wrestling with the chaotic aftershocks of the serum.
Kaid was slumped, his chest armor heaving as his enhanced systems fought to stabilize his newly activated, random power. Eli was gripping the safety rail, his knuckles white, sweat beading on his forehead despite the suit's cooling system.
Lila was the most composed, yet her eyes were wide and focused on nothing, a faint tremor running through her hands. Ava, ever the hyper-kinetic, was twitching restlessly, the chemical speed infusion battling the structural resistance of her armor.
They were all immensely stronger, faster, and more volatile than they had been an hour ago.
Axel focused on the deep vibration of the transport's engine, a steady, low rumble that was their only connection to order in the surrounding chaos. He had been through this biological shock before, months ago, when his Temporal Shift was first violently unlocked. He knew the feeling of power that was fundamentally wrong.
"Status report," Axel transmitted calmly over the localized channel.
"My vision is… too fast," Ava's voice was strained, muffled by her helmet. "I see every tremor in the floor, every particle of dust. I feel like I'm moving at full sprint while standing still."
"My joints feel like iron," Kaid grunted. "Pure, painful density. And the strength… I can't clench my fists without damaging the rail."
"I'm processing too much, Axel," Lila whispered. "Every calculation, every energy reading, it's all screaming at me."
Eli just laughed—a short, ragged, desperate sound. "I feel like I could take on a tank with a pen knife. Which, I guess, is the point."
Axel took a deep breath. "Hold fast. The Adaptive Core is doing its job. It's stabilizing the surge. Focus on the suit, not the power."
The cabin lights suddenly flickered, replacing the red warning with a dim white ambient light. A holographic projection of Victoria shimmered into existence near the front of the cabin.
"Attention, Team Alpha," Victoria's voice was clear and precise. "You have successfully activated your latent potential Your suits are compensating. However, the Vanguard Armor and the Red Vial are only half the equation. You must now understand the tools designed to control and maximize that new power."
She gestured, and behind each team member, a locked, specialized weapon rack ascended from the floor.
"These are your personal armaments," Victoria continued. "Each piece has been crafted to match the unique fighting style and the potential output of your individual power signature. They are the conduits you will use to channel chaos into tactical advantage."
Axel: Tempus Blades
The rack behind Axel held not one, but two long, elegant blades—somewhere between a rapier and a katana, with hilts molded perfectly to his grip. The blades were a dark, obsidian metal that seemed to absorb all light, and subtle blue lines of embedded energy flowed along their length.
"Axel, your weapon is the Tempus Blades. Designed to maximize your Temporal Shift capability," Victoria explained.
Capabilities: "The blades are forged from a time-displaced alloy. When energized by your suit—or by your active Temporal Shift—they gain the Phase-Shifting Edge. They flicker in and out of the temporal flow, allowing them to bypass most conventional armor, striking targets on the molecular plane. They are designed for precision, speed, and disruptive energy strikes."
Fusion Core: "The hilts contain a Fusion Core. By crossing the hilts and activating the safety mechanism, the two blades can fuse into a single, massive Greatsword capable of concentrated, wide-arc temporal energy swings. This is a high-power move intended to cleave through fortified enemies or defensive lines."
Kaid: Kinetic Gauntlets
Kaid's rack held a pair of colossal, segmented gauntlets that covered his forearms and hands in layered, shock-absorbing armor. They looked like extensions of his close-quarters defensive style.
"Kaid, your gauntlets are the Kinetic Fists, designed for high-impact absorption and counter-response," Victoria stated.
Capabilities: "The external plating utilizes an Impact Amplification System. The gauntlets actively absorb kinetic energy from incoming attacks—whether a bullet, a melee strike, or a falling debris—and immediately store that energy. The stored force can then be released in a controlled burst through the knuckles, creating highly localized Shockwave Punches or a devastating defensive perimeter pulse. This maximizes your inherent close-combat defensive role, turning the enemy's power against them."
Lila: Strikeforce Railgun
Lila's weapon was a marvel of destructive engineering: a long, heavy-caliber sniper rifle with a complex energy dispersal muzzle. It was massive, demanding the stability of her Vanguard suit.
"Lila, this is the Strikeforce Railgun. It is an extension of your unmatched precision and the chaotic output of your new power," Victoria said.
Capabilities: "The Strikeforce doesn't just fire a round; it fires a Hyper-Velocity Payload encased in a stabilized magnetic field.
Before the projectile even leaves the barrel, the railgun momentarily tears open a localized energy field in front of the target, allowing the round to hit with devastating, non-dampened force. This is your power amplified: massive destructive capacity channeled through surgical accuracy, perfect for taking down enemy heavy armor and command units from extreme distance."
Ava: Vapor Claws
Ava's suit was already equipped with forearm blades, but her new personal weapons were housed in discreet forearm compartments. When activated, four razor-thin, shimmering claws extended from the tips of her fingers. They didn't look sturdy, but terrifyingly sharp.
"Ava, the Vapor Claws are designed for absolute penetration at maximum velocity," Victoria continued. "These are the ultimate expression of your speed."
Capabilities: "The claws are composed of molecular filament that vibrates at an incredibly high frequency—a direct result of your enhanced speed power. This creates the Molecular Separation Edge. Instead of tearing through materials, the claws induce molecular separation, allowing you to slice through dense Scourge chitin, reinforced steel, or even energy shields with minimal resistance. They rely entirely on your speed and precision to deliver fatal, surgical strikes."
Eli: Twin Devastators
Eli's personal arsenal was a pair of sleek, heavy-caliber energy pistols resting in magnetized holsters on his hips. They were oversized, futuristic revolvers with glowing energy conduits running along the barrels.
"Eli, your weapon is the Twin Devastators. They are designed for linked, synchronized carnage, reflecting your dual-marksman style," Victoria announced.
Capabilities: "The pistols operate on a Linked Fire System. When targeting a single threat, the system automatically synchronizes the energy discharge and trajectory between the two pistols, doubling the impact force and guaranteeing a critical hit. When facing multiple targets, the pistols divide the enemy profile, allowing for instantaneous, controlled suppression. The most powerful function is the Overcharge Blast: by aiming both pistols at the same point, they momentarily fuse their energy output into a single, highly destructive, OP-level plasma shell—a devastating countermeasure for sudden surges of enemy lifeforms."
Atlas: Breaker Axe
Atlas's weapon was the most straightforward, yet the most terrifyingly large: a colossal, single-headed combat axe with a haft reinforced for powered armor grip.
"Atlas, the Breaker Axe. As the team's mobile fortress, you need a weapon that maximizes blunt-force trauma against entrenched defenses," Victoria concluded.
Capabilities: "The axe head utilizes Density Impact technology. Before impact, the suit can dynamically increase the density of the axe head by momentarily collapsing its molecular structure, resulting in a sudden, massive increase in physical mass. This allows you to deliver shield-breaking, armor-shattering swings that no kinetic dampening field can resist. It is pure, overwhelming, focused force—the perfect tool for breaching and holding the line."
The team, now armed with weapons that felt like extensions of their own volatile existence, secured the gear onto their Vanguard suits. The chaotic, surging power of the Red Vial was now channeled and managed, ready to be unleashed.
"You are no longer recruits. You are the Vanguard," Victoria's hologram stated, fading from existence.
The rumbling of the transport changed—the speed dropped sharply, and the vehicle engaged its external stabilization clamps. They had arrived. The airlock doors at the rear of the transport hissed, and the team felt the final, powerful shudder as the vehicle came to a dead stop.
"Axel, we are at the perimeter of Outpost-7," Kaid reported, his voice now steady and professional, the thrill of the newly activated power tempered by his discipline. "The airlock is opening."
Axel rose, the Tempus Blades secured on his back, the terrifying weight of his command settling over him. He looked at his team—four of them struggling with chemically-induced powers, all of them encased in suits that held a fatal fail-safe, and armed with weapons capable of mass destruction.
"Team Alpha, move out," Axel commanded.
The heavy transport ramp began to lower with a grinding screech, allowing the gray, polluted air of the wasteland to rush into the cabin. The sound of distant, echoing energy blasts and the high-pitched, metallic shriek of The Scourge immediately filled their ears.
Axel stepped forward, the first to descend the ramp. He walked directly into the apocalyptic horror of the Frontline. The war had begun.