Vex led them to a reinforced concrete bunker, an oasis of sterile order in the chaos of scrap. Holographic maps flickered over a central table. "The Pinnacle is an Old War relic," Vex explained, her optic eye locked on Henry's smiling, crimson-lit face. "Its security is archaic, but lethal. Patrol drones on the perimeter, hunter Spectres on the inner levels, and at the core, something the data only calls 'The Guardian'."
"Wonderful," Henry hissed, the sound a satisfied purr. He drew the katana, the blade seeming to drink the dim light of the bunker. It felt like an extension of his own dark soul. "More toys to break."
The approach to the Pinnacle was a ballet of stealth and violence. Henry moved like a smear of darkness, the shadows themselves seeming to bend around him. The patrol drones—floating machines with cold blue lenses—were dispatched with terrifying efficiency. A tentacle of pure shadow erupted from the ground, crushing a chassis into a ball of scrap. The katana sang through the air, cleaving another in two before its alarm could even shriek.
"You're showing off," Tsukuyomi laughed in his mind, her spectral form floating effortlessly beside him.
"I'm warming up," he replied aloud, his voice low and confident. A strange, shimmering dust filled the air around them, a remnant of ancient power.
Inside the Pinnacle, the silence was heavy. Corridors of polished metal stretched into a darkness broken only by the pulsing red of emergency lights. This is where the Spectres attacked. They were slender, spider-like machines that detached from the walls and ceilings, skittering with unnatural speed and firing bolts of superheated plasma.
Henry dodged them easily, a bored expression on his face as his own shadow lashed out, piercing their metallic bodies. "This isn't a challenge at all." As if on cue, a giant door hissed open, revealing dozens more. An alarm began to blare through the facility. "Okay," he said, his smile widening. "This could take some time."
He became a whirlwind of black and red, his katana a blur, his shadow arm blocking and crushing. He was so focused on the swarm that he didn't sense the new threat until it was too late. A giant, humanoid robot punched him from behind, sending him flying across the chamber. He skidded to a halt as a colossal robot spider descended from the ceiling, its multiple eyes glowing as it prepared to fire.
"We're going to die!" the pathetic voice of Light Henry screamed in his head. The pain and panic flooded his mind, a nauseating wave of weakness. For a split second, his control slipped.
"SHUT UP!" he roared aloud. A violent aura of pure shadow exploded from his body in a shockwave, blasting the smaller drones away. Tentacles of darkness erupted from his own shadow on the floor, impaling the remaining machines and tearing them to pieces. He got to his feet, the manic, predatory smile back on his face.
They reached the core. It was a cavernous chamber, and in the center, floating in a containment field, was the Guardian. It wasn't a drone. It was a sphere of liquid silver metal, constantly twisting and reshaping itself. The data drive sat on a pedestal just beneath it.
"Oh, that's tricky," Tsukuyomi said, her voice a little less amused.
"Stay back," Henry ordered. He took a step forward, and the sphere reacted. It solidified, morphing into an exact copy of him. Black hair, red eyes, an equally predatory smile, and a katana forged from the same liquid metal.
The fight was useless. The copy mirrored his every move, his every thought. "You cannot beat me," the copy said, its voice a metallic imitation of his own. "I am you, perfected. I was made to detain intruders. No one can escape me."
"Flaw in your logic," Henry panted, backing away from a flurry of blows. "You can only copy my attacks. But you can't... do this."
He slammed his katana into the floor. It wasn't an attack. It was an invitation. The Guardian, trapped in its mirror-logic, did the same. And in that frozen instant, Henry released his power. Not at his enemy, but into himself. The shadows wrapped around him, not to attack, but to propel him, launching him forward like a bullet. He ignored the copy and dove for the pedestal, snatching the data drive.
The Guardian shrieked, its form breaking apart as its primary protocol was violated. The chamber began to collapse.
"Time to go!" Tsukuyomi yelled. She held out a hand, and a corridor of solid moonlight formed, shielding them from the falling debris as they sprinted for the exit.
They emerged back into the rancid night of the Obsidian Heart, covered in dust and machine-blood. Vex was waiting, her face impassive. Henry tossed the drive to her.
"Your payment," she said, handing him a heavy credit chip. "And a new offer. An Old War tech convoy is coming from the north. Security will be ten times worse. The payout, a hundred times bigger."
"I don't care about payment," Henry sneered. "I just want to destroy."
Vex actually laughed. "You're a different one, huh?" She checked her datapad. "I have a strange request for a shield forged for a god, but the client wants it delivered, not destroyed. Not a proper prize for you." She glanced at the horizon. "You know what, the sun is almost up. I'll call you when I have something better."
"I don't have one of those things."
"Oh. Sorry. Uh, that's awkward," Vex said, momentarily flustered. "I don't have a spare, but hey, I can find you around town. Don't worry."
Henry just clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Whatever you say." He walked back into the city and found the most expensive hotel he could. He paid with the chip, ordered a lavish meal, and ate like a king. As he finally rested his head on a silk pillow, Tsukuyomi materialized beside him.
"Ooh, enjoying the rich life?"
"I'm going to have this every night," he declared, "after I regain my full power from that stupid seal he made."
"You surely will, my dear," she laughed, vanishing as the first rays of sun crept through the window. He transformed back to Light Henry in his sleep.
He woke up hours later, yawning as he took in the opulent room. "I bet he spent all the money," he sighed. "Well, I'm going to the academy Joseph told me about." He gathered his things and walked out into the city.
As he passed through the market, Iron-Jaw saw him and immediately rushed over, holding his hands up in surrender. "You, boy! Keep your stupid sword! I had nightmares all night! Now scram!" He hurried away, disappearing into the crowd.
A moment later, Vex found him. "Oh, hey! You know, it's so cool that you're different during the day. Your whole attitude changes and everything."
Henry shifted uncomfortably. "Oh... That's weird to explain."
"It's okay if you don't want to explain," Vex smiled. "But I'll want the story later. So, here's the deal: I've got you a big mission. Take a shard from the very center of the Obsidian Heart, and I'll give you a ride off this planet. What do you say?"
Henry looked at her, his blue eyes clear and resolved. "No."
She was visibly shocked. "What? No?"
"No," he repeated firmly. "I have things to do."
She recovered quickly, a shrewd smile returning. "It's okay. Come find me whenever you want. No one else is up to that quest." She waved and walked away.
Henry looked down the long, dusty street and sighed. "Time to get going."
"Where are you going?" a familiar, cold voice echoed in his head.
"I'm going to find true strength," Henry said aloud.
His dark side laughed. "This is not strength. You'll just be a lab toy for some stuffy academics."
"There is a strength that doesn't come from destroying your enemies," Joseph's voice, a clear memory, whispered in his mind. "It comes from mastering yourself."
Henry nodded. "I'm going to school." He looked at the katana. "You coming?"
For the first time, Tsukuyomi, in her spectral form, actually looked surprised. A broken kid suddenly finding a spine? Now that was far more interesting than a predictable monster. A slow, intrigued smile spread across her lips.
"Of course," she purred, floating beside him. "I'm curious to see how this act ends."
He had no map. Just a name Joseph had whispered years ago: Aegis Academy. And a direction, east, toward the lands where civilization was still stubbornly trying to put down roots. After hours of walking, as the city finally faded behind him, he heard a rustling in the forest ahead. He stopped, hand on his sword, and waited.